I never thought I’d be so grateful for rain (especially after this summer). Since the skies opened on Saturday, my meet was cancelled and I could attend the second annual New Britain Mural Slam. Organized by CCSU professor Mike Alewitz and his mural painting class, the event featured a wide range of talent and mediums. Each artist got their own chunk of wall on the Welte parking garage’s 5th floor and was left to do their thing for eight hours. The intermittent rain washed some murals away, but I tried to capture all of them on my camera. Here are some highlights.
Eyesore came out in full force, spraying giant bright pieces flanked with creepy gumdrop monsters. Always a crowd favorite, he signed black books and chatted with everyone. 
You can’t tell from this photo, but Mike Goldschneider had one hell of a time getting this stencil to stick. Battling wet walls, dripping paint, and the impending doom of more rain, he managed to slap five layers up before the downpour started. Applause! 
Esper and Speak spent a whole day tweaking their pieces. The pair commented other people’s wild style and encouraged others to critique their work. Speak got all cerebral with it, talking about "light sources and shit." I really liked these guys and hope I catch up with them again sometime. 
Aside from the brilliance of this hypothetical death match, the guys that worked on this piece made my day when they sprayed a little penguin on the nearby cinderblock. Octopus vs. stegosaurus: who would win? 
For some reason, I really enjoyed this mural. Throughout the day, I stopped by this piece again and again intending to ask the artist why the noses were bleeding. I never asked. Any insight here?
I’m sending Alewitz all my photos, so see if he posts them here.
cocaine users maybe? they look a little pale
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