NEW ORLEANS– A New Orleans artist is using the boarded up businesses as his canvas. He’s transforming what is gloomy into something beautiful.

Artist Joshua Wingerter saw these boarded up businesses as an opportunity.

“I’ve always dreamed of painting the entire city and as soon as everyone was like here’s some canvases, I was ready,” he said.

The streets are his canvas starting with Frenchmen Street. So far he’s painted about 30 boards on Frenchmen Street and about 50 around the city including on Magazine Street, Royal Street, and Decatur Street.

“The technique is I use all my own stencils that I make out of card stock, then I cut out the stencils and then I layer with spray paint. Since I’m on the street I use spray paint, but typically I use acrylic,” he said.

Wingerter said he is painting a lot of local figures, iconic figures, pop cultural references. Then also tapping into the culture of our city. I wanted to pay homage to those who made this great city and our musicians, and artists.

When Joshua saw these streets looking gloomy and not alive, what he wanted to do was bring color and a feeling of life back to the city of New Orleans.

Does Joshua have to get permission to paint on these boards?

“I’d say I get about 40 percent approval at first, but then by the end 100 percent approval,” he said.

Wingerter said, “As long as I’m painting I’m a super happy person, hence the smile.”

He’s definitely bringing smiles back to our once vibrant streets.