Walmart is Searching for Local Artists to Draw on Their Community Spirit

Art has the power to change your perspective and even your mood. And, the right piece of art can help to bring a community together.

Across America, murals on prominent buildings give hometowns a sense of personality and identity. These paintings create a shared experience where neighborhoods, buildings and streets stand out. Without them, it may be difficult to distinguish one town from the next.

In a lot of ways, Walmart stores are the same. On the surface, there are shelves, racks and registers. But a closer look reveals a variety of differences that make each store a unique part of its community. There are products and cultural elements that distinguish each location, even if they look the same on the surface.

But, the real reason each store is unique is its people. Our customers and associates are as unique and diverse as the communities we serve.

To help solidify this feeling of community within stores, we are asking local artists in selected communities across the country to help. Walmart’s Community Mural Program seeks to source community-focused local art from people who know their town the best: its residents.

Just ask artist Michael Rangel. He uses his surroundings, including the food, people and cars of his hometown, Compton, California, to inspire his artwork. One of his pieces was recently selected to be the first mural installed inside a Walmart store.

I’m honored to be a part of this project and create a piece that symbolizes a city I know and love. There’s a deep sense of community here that makes the city so unique while constantly changing.
Michael Rangel, local artist in Compton, California

Walmart is asking artists from about 1,000 store communities across the country to show their city pride by designing a mural to be hung within their local store. Most of our U.S. stores see thousands of customers a day, so these murals are great opportunities for artists to have their art displayed to their local communities.

Here are the details:

• The program is open to artists of all ages, skill levels and experiences, including art students and art organizations.
• Artists are encouraged to submit their designs per store on walmartmurals.com for consideration.
• Once a piece of art is chosen for an in-store mural, it will be digitally transferred onto a large cling and hung in a prominent, pre-selected location within the store.
• The artist of the selected work will receive a $300 stipend.
• Submission deadlines for these stores are scheduled for December 2019 or January 2020.

For more information or to submit your own art for consideration, visit walmartmurals.com.

By Matt Smith, Walmart Corporate Affairs