Next up on Worcester’s list of dope creative things is POW! WOW!; an international mural festival that has traveled all over the world and made it’s way to our city beginning on August 26th and wrapping up September 4th. POW! POW! will bring ten new murals to the city in several downtown locations during the ten days the festival takes place. Though murals are the focus, plenty of art-centric events will be taking place as well. Events include concerts, gallery shows, a lecture series etc.

POW! WOW! Is expected to bring over 10,000 visitors to our city over the ten days, including quite a few international muralists coming to create art on the streets of downtown. Though many people would have liked to see the art created strictly by local artists, creatives from our city will be showcased just as much throughout the festival.

After sitting down(actually, prepping a wall for one of the murals) with Che Anderson, a member of the POW! WOW! Worcester committee, he explained that though POW! WOW! Is an amazing event for our city, it is a smaller project within the bigger picture, “It’s about Worcester taking its rightful place as a creative city,” says Anderson, who also stressed that the execution of POW! WOW! Worcester is completely a community effort and wouldn’t be possible without the support of our city, as well as local artists.

Murals are focused around downtown specifically for the purpose of making the area more walkable and viewed as a safe place to be by residents who may understand downtown to be uninviting and unsafe. With this focus on art in the downtown area, hopes of Worcester being seen as the innovative place it has always and will always be are brought back to life.

POW! WOW! Worcester will have something for everyone. Be it fun for kids, families, or teens and young adults, no one will be bored for the week and a half it takes place. Several events, a block party and several pop-up shops at Pop Up (20 Franklin street) will be taking place, including a pop up by Worcester’s own Raremxbb on September 2nd.

Worcester deserves to be seen and recognized as a creative city. We produce an immense amount of raw talent, drive and motivation. What used to be dreams of coming up out of the city are transforming into coming up here in our own home, where success for artists is just as possible as in places like Atlanta or NYC. With support from artists, the city, and everyone in it, we are not far away from being a destination on the map of creative places to go and see.

Vistit powowworcester.com from more information and a list of events happening during the festival.