If you’re a fan of street art, you’ll love exploring the beautiful murals located throughout Hartford. Between initiatives like CT Murals, community-minded businesses, and a talented pool of local artists, murals have been popping up everywhere and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
While a lot of people know about Hartford’s thriving street art scene, locating these murals is another story. To help you find your favorite mural from Instagram in real life, we put together a four-part guide covering the major mural projects in the city.
For part one, we’ll be exploring all the murals in Downtown Hartford. Read on to learn our favorite murals in the downtown area and exactly where you can find them:
Location: 252 Pearl Street
At the corner of Pearl and Ann Uccello, you’ll find one of Hartford’s newer murals created by the prolific local muralist, Corey Pane. Sponsored by Hartford Has It and CT Murals, the piece represents growth, resilience and optimism for the future after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Location: 48 Trinity Street
Commissioned and created during the Black Lives Matter protests of June 2020, this street mural in Bushnell Park is a symbol of community solidarity. Sixteen local artists created the piece, each assigned an individual letter to design. On installation day, numerous community members and organizations came together to paint a section and bring the mural to life.
Location: 990 Main Street
Local artist and muralist Deka Henry created this modern mosaic mural which she says was inspired by the strength she witnessed both here in Hartford and worldwide during 2020’s Black Lives Matter movement. The piece was commissioned as part of Hartford Has It’s 5x5 Project with the RiseUp Group and CT Murals, and it lives on the side of Track 23 facing Talcott Street.
Location: 379 Capitol Ave
This colorful storefront is an Instagram dream come true. The piece was created this past summer by Jillian Goeler, whose style you may recognize from the roadblocks on Pratt Street or her art prints at Hartford Prints. The mural is located between Aurora’s and Red Rock Tavern, so stop by for a pic after you grab a bite!
Location: 357 Main Street
This whimsical, colorful mural was created back in 2015 by Hartford Prints! The name comes from their 2015 community commercial, which featured the piece. Tucked away on the side of Peppercorn’s Grill, the mural is located to the side of a parking lot, so be sure to get there in the early hours to try to snag a car-free photo.
Location: 177 Buckingham Street
Local artist Alex Raniello is the artist behind this piece which was created to mark the SoDo (South Downtown) microneighborhood within the greater downtown area. The mural was an actual labor of love, with numerous SoDo businesses, organizations, politicians, churches, and community leaders coming together to sponsor the mural.
More Downtown Murals:
