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Street Artists Transform Community Devastated by Violence Into a Colorful, City-Wide Mural

Drugs and gangs were destroying the Mexican city of Palmitas. So the government decided to fight back—with paint.

Heather Dockray
By Heather DockrayJul 25, 2015
Heather Dockray
Heather Dockray is a writer-storyteller-sometimes-performer living in New York. She's written for a number of publications, including VICE, Splitsider, and Uproxx, and was once a featured Buzzfeed GIF. Prior to becoming a writer, Heather spent years as a mad scientist children's birthday party entertainer.
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El Chapo’s escape might have been a great source of Tweetable entertainment for many Americans, but the country of Mexico continues to struggle with violence. Over 60,000 people, many of them young people, have died due to drug-related violence in just the last decade alone. That’s why the Mexican government recently came up with a small and imaginative solution. In the city of Palmitas, the government hired local street artists “Germen Crew” to repaint 209 houses—that’s 20,000 square meters of façade—and turn an entire town into a big, beautiful, rainbow mural.

According to Street Art News, the Palmitas project has done more than beautify the city. Jobs were created in the process, and rising employment appears to have reduced youth violence. It’s a small, simple solution that appears to have had wide, complicated city impact. And while there’s no word yet on whether there’ll be more projects like this in the future, the results, posted below, couldn’t be more promising.

(Via: Bored Panda)

otro día largo! mañana nos vemos amigos!!#GermenCrew #GermenNuevoMuralismo #MacroMural

Posted by Germen Nuevo Muralismo Mexicano on Thursday, July 16, 2015

Uno de los andadores casi listo para aplicar Mural Gracias por todo el apoyo! y Comentarios!#GermenNuevoMuralismo #BarrioMáxico #MacroMural

Posted by Germen Nuevo Muralismo Mexicano on Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Posted by Germen Nuevo Muralismo Mexicano on Friday, July 3, 2015

Así trabajó maestro Ene Mendez en mercado de Jamaica #GermenCrew #GermenNuevoMuralismo #MercadodeJamaica

Posted by Germen Nuevo Muralismo Mexicano on Tuesday, July 21, 2015

mexicostreet artyouth violencepreventing youth violence

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