PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Did you know Portsmouth has a Wall Street? It’s not a financial district, but this weekend it will become an art district.
Support Portsmouth Public Arts is hosting a mural festival, with 10 artists transforming old warehouses walls at the entrance to Portsmouth’s Innovation District at the intersection of Hatton and High Streets.
“It’s a $20 million grant that’s being funded by the federal government,” said Matt Diggs, who is helping to organize the festival. “And we’re looking forward to be the catalyst of that whole entire initiative.”
The grant is to regenerate this area, making it more desirable for creative companies and workers.
“I’ve had several people say, ‘why do you want to paint these murals in an alleyway? No one’s comes down here,'” said John Joyce, Support Portsmouth Public Arts vice president. “And I said, ‘there’s nothing to see.'”
Joyce believes massive murals, featuring Missy [Eliott], Matilda [Joyner Jones] and other Portsmouth royalty, will change that.
“Yeah, this is a perfect little alleyway,” Joyce said. “There’s no place like this in Tidewater that I’m aware of.”
The artists themselves will be on display during this weekend’s Wall Street Mural Festival. You can watch them putting the finishing touches on their murals.
“Growing up here, there wasn’t too much of this around,” said the artist known as Humble. “So, I’m super grateful that there’s been this resurgence of it. … It livens up the area.”
All of the artists are from Virginia.
There will also be breakdance and skateboard competitions, along with food and games at the festival, which takes place from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at 400 Hatton Street in Portsmouth.