Dorchester Gets Darker

Is it me, or are Dorchester murals finally becoming more diverse? That exciting feeling of seeing Black street art on buildings and stores has finally hit Boston! The artists were selected by representatives from the Department of Neighborhood Development, the Boston Art Commission and Grove Hall Main Streets.

Here are some of the city’s latest Black murals in the Grove Hall business district.

Love Thyself

“In Boston, if we paint a person of color on a wall, it’s always someone like Big Papi, and I want to change that,” said muralist Marka Quinonez. Quinones, who goes by Marka27 in the street art scene, is responsible for the beautiful city-funded Love Thyself mural in Dorchester.

Address
Love Thyself by Marka27
199 Quincy St.
Dorchester, MA

Did You Know: This mural was originally titled Sacred Health with intentions to encourage greater conscientiousness for the mind, body and soul.

Nelson Mandela

New York City based street artist Don Rimx, was inspired by Boston’s rich history with South Africa’s First Black President, Nelson Mandela. This is the largest of the new Dorchester murals created for the project.

Address
Powerful Knowledge by Don Rimx
41 Geneva Ave.
Dorchester, MA

Did You Know: Massachusetts was the first state to withdraw its pension funds from companies that were doing business in South Africa.

Breathe Life

Dorchester native and muralist Rob “Pro Blak” Gibbs created the Breathe Life mural, that he says is a blend of Afrofuturism, Hip Hop and graffiti. The mural is of a young Black kid blowing life into his toy home – half of his universe is in vibrant color and the other is exposed brick.

Address
Breathe Life by Rob Problak Gibbs
324 Blue Hill Ave. 
Dorchester, MA

Did You Know: Robert “ProBlak” Gibbs  graduated from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, located down the street from the mural he created.

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