Boom! 2024 muralists Joe Iurato, Martha Cooper, and Sandro Figueroa Garcia (SEN2) shared their perspectives on working as artists in Salina last Friday at the Salina Art Center. Each remarked how warm, respectful, and inviting the community was as they completed their work.

SEN2 shared that people brought him coffee, thanked him for being here, and one patron even offered a hug. This is the third year that Martha and Joe participate in the Boom! Street Art & Mural Festival. Iurato remarked that what first attracted him to Salina was the beauty of the architecture and the large “blank canvases” available for artists to paint. “Each trip has become more of a bonding experience with the community," Iurato said, “……[positive community engagement] and the hospitality, interest, and welcome has increased each year to feel more like a family than a project. As this grows, I become more and more fond of Salina.”

Martha Cooper remarked that shortly after arriving at the Salina Airport, she was greeted by a TSA employee who exclaimed, “Martha, you’re back!” This demonstrates the impact that the mural festival, her work, and the relationships established are important for both the artists, residents, and visitors.

By the end of the mural festival, every artist commented on how much they enjoyed their experience in Salina. Never take for granted the value of living in a community with such strong support of the arts. It provides a fertile ground for local and regional artists to create close to home.