Due to a violent label that plagues Kingston, Jamaica, the city is often at the very bottom of travel search results and rarely mentioned on tourist sites. Government corruption has resulted in a range of socio-economic issues including high unemployment and heavy gang violence in inner-city neighborhoods. Despite the negative connotation that often surrounds Kingston, many community initiatives such as Paint Jamaica and Life Yard are making an effort to change local stereotypes by using art to uplift a community that was once thriving with commerce.
Founded by Marianna Farang, Paint Jamaica is a social street art project created by a collective of artist, volunteers and local community organizations. Together the group conducted a mural project in Parade Gardens, which has resulted in a new-found sense of pride in the community along with heavy foot traffic from both local and international visitors. The murals feature works that reflect residents vision for the neighborhood. Prior to painting, interviews were conducted to understand exactly what images did residents want to see on their walls? And what kind of messages?
Check out the colorful results below
