The return of Bright Walls was recently created in downtown Jackson by Clay McAndrews. It was an art festival with a collection of murals. Originally, it started after McAndrews and his wife were traveling and saw murals in other countries which inspired them to start this event.

The process of bringing Bright Walls back took several months to get approved. After getting the approval, the event had a great impact on the Jackson community. The most difficult part was funding the event. The total budget for creating this event was $320,000.

After Bright Walls was painted, it had a great influence on our community in multiple ways.  After speaking to McAndrews about the effect it had on Jackson, he said it brings out positive vibes and should show people how to appreciate the beauty they have around them.

“It opens up people’s eyes on how impactful art can be,” said McAndrews.

During the organization process, the murals were chosen after the artists submitted their portfolios and the Bright Walls staff decided what to include in the actual festival.

Some of the most popular paintings at Bright Walls were called Ouizi and ItsALiving.

The painters of these specific murals were Louise Jones who painted the mural “Ouizi” from Detroit, Michigan, and Ricardo Gonzalez who painted the mural “ItsALiving” from Brooklyn, New York. There were also painters chosen from other countries who painted at the event, such as Claire Foxton from Sydney, Australia.

“It’s very unique to see people come from different countries,” said McAndrews.

This event has been going on for two years, but the Bright Walls team is still debriefing about continuing Bright Walls. They are hopeful it will continue because of the positive outcome it had on the community.