As part of this project, last year, twelve colorful murals were completed in the Philipsburg area to help uplift the neighborhood, support local artists, increase foot traffic to the area, and provide a free sightseeing activity for residents and visitors to enjoy. “We would again like to thank all artists, volunteers and partners that were involved and are grateful for the positive feedback from the community,” says Melanie Choisy, BTC’s President.
Since then the project’s murals have been shared via hundreds of photos and videos and amassed tens of thousands of ‘likes and shares’ on social media. The murals have provided a background for other initiatives, and five (known) tour companies are incorporating the murals into their tours.
Thanks to the R4CR Grant Scheme, the Be The Change Foundation is now able to add more murals and fine-tune the free walking tour in Philipsburg. “We look forward to adding at least six new murals, showcasing more artwork by local artists, and adding a few improved features to the plaques, map, and website,” says Laura Bijnsdorp, writer and coordinator for BTC.
BTC will inform the public about the ‘open call for mural designs’ at a later date. First, the Foundation is encouraging the community of Philipsburg to suggest walls that might be suitable to be painted for a mural.
Guidelines for applicable walls:
– Must be in Philipsburg; the Boardwalk, Front Street, Back Street, Cannegieter Street, Eugene Camille Richardson Street, or Walter Nisbeth Road.
– Wall owner must be willing to sign an agreement with the intention to prevent covering or damaging the mural. The mural wall must be preserved for a minimum of 3 years (and ideally 5).
– The wall should be visible at most times. For example, the final mural should not be covered due to parking cars.
– BTC won’t be painting storefronts with showcase windows, but can provide business owners a contact list of mural artists for hire.
– BTC will consider bare walls that are adjacent to businesses, walls in alleyways, damaged buildings that won’t be rebuilt for a few years, and other creative ideas by the community.
BTC’s Board and Members would like to thank R4CR for the opportunity to execute the extension of @ColorMeSXM. The R4CR program is a grant scheme that focuses exclusively on financing and strengthening of local Civil Society Organization (CSOs). The program is financed by the Government of the Netherlands via the St. Maarten Trust Fund. The latter is administered by the World Bank, implemented by the NRPB (National Recovery Program Bureau) and executed by VNGI (the Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten International) in close cooperation with Foresee Foundation-NPOwer and other local partners.
For suggestions or ideas regarding available walls in the Philipsburg area for the project please contact BTC via email: bethechangesxm@gmail.com
BTC would like to make note that this project is only for the Philipsburg area. If persons wish to apply for funding and take the initiative to execute murals in other areas, the BTC team would be happy to advise.
For more information about @ColorMeSXM Philipsburg Art Walk and Be The Change Foundation: www.bethechangesxm.com & www.colormesxm.com. Find us on Instagram: @colormesxm
