Artist looking for volunteers to help paint mural in Downtown Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A local artist in Anchorage has set his sights on a building just off 7th Avenue and E Street. Right now it’s a blank wall, but artist Steve Gordon has a vision for the wall and for bringing the community together to get it done.

“I want people to come together and express through the mural what your hopes are — what are you for, not what you’re against — and I thought it would be awesome for the community to come together,” Gordon said. “Create something beautiful, that everyone can have a part in creating, you know, as you come together.”

Gordon has created the artwork, and now he’s created a paint by numbers style project so any can have the opportunity to paint and be a part of the event. He partnered with the Anchorage Downtown Partnership Ltd. to complete the project.

When finished, the mural will be 30 feet by 40 feet and have 70 4-by-4 thin squares of canvas that will be put together to create the artwork.

On Aug. 28 at Town Square Park, people will have the opportunity to paint the 70 squares.

And while people are painting Gordon said he will talk with volunteers to learn what hope means to them and he will add those words to the mural.

“Sometimes when you see a piece of artwork, if it’s visually beautiful or engaging or captivating, that will hold your interest but if you take the time to read and think about what it might mean, I’m hoping that impacts people in the future,” Gordon said.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and anyone eight and older can participate.

Pre-register for the event on the registration website.

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