Museum of Public Art Baton Rouge, United States

The Museum of Public Art is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the creation of community inspired murals in the Old South Baton Rouge community. We believe that Public Art is a force for positive community development in ways conscious and unconscious. How the message is conveyed through imagery, text, and symbolism, effects the soul of the community…. instilling a sense of hope, and history, through creative expression which unfortunately in many inner city communities, is stymied and stifled.

The transformative power of public art lies in part to repetitive viewing. People pass by our murals on their way to work, on their way to school, and when they go to church. Murals can memorialize past lives and focus attention on issues relevant to the here and now.

The inspiration for Public Art comes from the street corner, the barber shop, the basketball court…wherever people are. We are in touch and in tune with the community and strive to create imagery that is relevant to the needs and lives of the people whom we serve with art.

The Mural Manual written in 1973 during the Chicago mural renaissance by Mark Rogovin, Marie Burton, and Holly Highfill eloquently describe the function of public art in general and murals in particular:

“The recent mural movement has been made up to a large degree of artists who have determined to reject the goal of “making it” in the galleries and private collections. These artists, including ourselves, have selected instead a new audience for works of art. The priority audience for which we paint is the audience of our own communities, working people of all ethnic backgrounds. Our subject matter comes from the history and culture, the needs and struggles, of communities. Our art speaks of the dignity of the people and projects a vision of a future free from war and exploitation. The form we have chosen is murals, Murals can be a great way to reaching thousands upon thousands of people, since they are in public spaces, accessible to everyone. They are a wonderful form to educate and inspire.”

Their statement in 1973 is more true today with the advent of social media where hundreds of thousands if not millions of people can view a piece of work. MOPA has over 200,000 Facebook fans from all over the world who are now familiar with our city and our work.

The Museum of Public Art is dedicated to creating, promoting, and exhibiting public art. We are using art for community development, cultural awareness and social change in the South Baton Rouge Community. Visit us at www.museumofpublicart.org
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