FEATURE
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PHOTOS
BY REBECCA RAFFERTY
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BY MATT BURKHARTT, MARK CHAMBERLIN, MATT DETURCK & LAUREN PETRACCA
ymbolically, walls stand to divide space, to enclose people and property. But for Dr. Ian Wilson and the network of medical professionals, artists, and volunteers he has organized around Rochester’s annual Wall\Therapy street-art festival, and the medical-philanthropy organization Impact, walls stand for something other than themselves. Through those initiatives, walls have the capability to unite communities on local and global scales. Wall\Therapy efforts officially started in 2011. Since then more than a dozen local murals have been created by more than 20 international and local artists. These works grace the largely empty walls of Rochester; you can currently see murals from the project in the areas surrounding the Rochester Public Market and the St. Paul Quarter. Leading up to this year’s Wall\Therapy event, which will see artists painting July 19-28, City caught up with Wilson and Erich Lehman of 1975 Gallery, who has taken a stronger organizing role in the effort this year. They reflected on the endeavor so far, previewed the festival line-up of artists, and discussed how they are preparing to shift the medical-philanthropy side of the endeavor to the forefront. For information on and photos of the existing murals, search “Wall Therapy” at rochestercitynewspaper. com. To learn more about what’s coming up, read on. In addition to adding imagery to our Image City, the impact of Wall\Therapy artwork
has been massive and varied. School and other group tours still take place, locals and out-of-towners pose in front of the murals for amateur and professional photos shoots. The images are becoming as iconic to Rochester as other visible aspects of the city, including the buildings upon which they are painted. For example, Faith47’s Railroad Street painting of a girl with sparrows swirling around her face is the background for a promotional photo of the Rochester musical group, Gibbs & Main. But the images weren’t immediately welcomed by all. Last year, two murals in particular — Belgian artist ROA’s slumbering bears, and South African artist Faith47’s mural of a bare-breasted religious icon, both in the St. Paul corridor — created a bit of controversial buzz. Wilson describes the few negative responses in medical terms: “acute inflammation followed by quiescence. In other words, there was a vigorous reaction at first, which eventually healed. Some members of the community hadn’t seen art on this scale, so accessible and visible. And all art is a mirror. What people see in it says a lot about themselves, and I’ll continue to say that forever.” But by and large, the artwork has been well received. Lehman says: “There were people within the municipality who just enjoyed the energy that was brought to the city. Not just the art, but the fact that people were in the community having a dialogue about art, for about a month.” Lehman argues that the art has brought