BILLINGS — Dozens of murals now brighten walls across Billings, and one of the city's newest — on the South Side — is now restored after vandalism eight months ago.
Watch the full story about city art and murals below:
The project near the corner of Eighth Avenue South and South Broadway features seven separate murals, each telling its own story of culture, community, and connection.
"It's art. Art is expression," artist Quincy Harris said Thursday.
For about 40 days, Harris was up before sunrise, putting in hours of paint, detail and heart to create something bigger than just a mural.
"Spread positivity. And there's a lot of community, especially here on the South Side. I've had so many conversations throughout this process," Harris said.
The work was extensive.
"I can't lie. Took about maybe four to six hours a day. If I started at like 5 a.m., I'd probably end about 3 p.m., 4 p.m.," Harris said.
The finished work reflects the community it was built for.
"There's music, there's dancing, there's food, there's community. It's not just always politics and negativity," Harris said.
Tate Johnson, the neighborhood planner for the city of Billings, says murals help create a stronger sense of place and can even help cut down on graffiti.
"They have a lot of benefits, whether it be placemaking, bringing people together, bringing different communities together," Johnson said.
"Our code enforcement manager is hoping to maybe start some projects of getting some money together to paint murals just because it will help with the graffiti mitigation," Johnson said.
The city's public art policy allows artists to apply to create pieces on public property — a feature Johnson says more people are starting to discover.
"I think it definitely has kind of brought it to light. People maybe before didn't know that you could even put a public art piece on a public city property," Johnson said.
She added: "Funding is, primarily, it's not city funded by any means. Everything comes from the artist."
Interest has been growing. Since the public art program gained attention, three new pieces have been approved in the community.
Materials alone can cost hundreds of dollars. Harris says supplies for this project ran at least $600, because exterior paint is required to prevent chipping and extend the life of the work.
For Harris, every hour and every brushstroke was worth it.
"If you give out positive energy, people are going to bring in that positive energy," Harris said.
Related:
Vandalized Billings mural to get new look with community partnership
Billings man whose mural was defaced speaks out against recent vandalism
