NEW ORLEANS — If you’re familiar with the social media fashion world à la #fashionblogger, you’ve likely heard of “wall scouting”. It’s where bloggers pursue the perfect backdrop for their Instagram pictures. Locally, The NOLA Mural Project has created 14 fun canvases around town. There’s only one problem… they’ve done it without the city’s approval.
Neal Morris is one of the faces of the project. He describes the movement as a community organization and effort to get street art up in New Orleans. He says they match artists with willing wall owners and they show what can happen in a neighborhood when there’s not a lot of bureaucracy and oversight, just artists, and property owners that want to create public art.
But the street art could be in jeopardy. In November of 2017, Morris was threatened with fines, even jail time, by the city because he failed to apply for the proper city permits. The ACLU sued the city on Morris’s behalf, arguing that displaying murals is a constitutional right and that permitting regulations are an over restrictive violation of first amendment rights.
Morris believes that the art is bringing the community together and bringing positive attention to the city of New Orleans. “When you open up your Insta and see an artist that we’ve worked with has posted and an artist that they know that they follow posts and they contact us and more art goes up, it’s been pretty incredible.”
He hopes that the appearance and popularity of the paintings will help convince the municipal government to lower the mural permit fee from $500 to $50. And judging by their social media engagement… the popularity is there!
While the lawsuit is still up the air, you can show your support by following NOLA Mural Project on social media.
🎨 🎨 🎨 Ready to try your own wall scouting? Here’s a list of all of the murals from NOLA Mural Project… save this page as we will continue to update it with the latest murals…
Sophie Peters mural
900 Louisa St.
New Orleans, LA 70117
Craig Cundiff mural
2112 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70116
Lana Guerra mural
2600 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Rebeka Skela mural
2600 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Jay McKay mural
2600 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Joshua Martel mural
2100 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
New Orleans, LA 70113
Brendon Palmer-Angell mural
1441 N Claiborne Ave
New Orleans, LA 70116
Ivan Roque mural
3400 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
John Bukaty mural
2512 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Carlos Culbertson mural
2600 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
@registered_artist‘s mural
2400 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Abbey Caruso mural
3501 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Scott Walker murals
The Elephant Collective
3610 Toulouse St
New Orleans, LA 70119
Mr. Balloon Hands mural
2600 St Claude Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
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