MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A Myrtle Beach non-profit is working to add murals to downtown, and the first one is already underway.
Situated on the side of Gordo’s Taco and Tequila on Ninth Avenue, the mural will feature an octopus holding several sombreros. It’s designed to give pedestrians a place to pose under the hats for a picture.
“It’s made to be interactive,” Rick Forest of Little River said. He’s the artist tasked with painting the mural. “People like to have photo ops. The hats are six and three feet high so people can stand under them and get their photographs taken.”
The project is headed up by a non-profit group called the Five Points Association. They’re committed to improving downtown.
“We are mainly focused on historic Myrtle Beach in terms of revitalization, but this project is bridging the gap between the oceanfront and the historic side of Myrtle Beach,” Five Points President John Krajc said.
In total, Five Points is aiming to put up between six and 10 murals before the end of the year. Krajc says that public art is important in establishing a neighborhood’s identity.
“Places with public art become a destination,” he said. “They become a way to flip the identity of a community on its head in a positive way.”
He also explained that murals can be a great way for a city to get cheap publicity.
“Come here. Take pictures with public art. Do hashtags on social media. Share it with your friends and tell them where you are and how they should be sharing in that experience.
The biggest hurdle facing Five Points is funding. They are reliant on private donations and sponsorships. Krajc expects the project to cost around $30,000 to complete. He asks that anyone interested in contributing, visit the organization’s GoFundMe page.
And when it’s all done, Krajc says you can-
“Back up, take a picture and tag hashtag Myrtle Beach.”
