Credit to Eashaan Patel

The Mural Mile spans 2.2 miles just south of the St. Louis Arch. The art piece is a product of graffiti artists from all over the country coming together during a 1997 art event called “Paint Louis”

In overcast stillness, a vividly decorated flood wall stretches just over a mile wide and sits quietly near the Mississippi River. Known as the Mural Mile, it was first constructed in 1964 and began its colorful journey as merely just a flood wall. At one point, it even fulfilled its original purpose during the Great Flood of 1993, when the Mississippi River almost rushed over the top.

Soon after the flood, the structure grew as a lively hotspot for local graffiti artists, where they would converse and host occasional “graffiti jam sessions.” A special tradition, “Paint Louis,” later formed and drew in artists from all across the country to paint murals on the wall on Labor Day weekend each year.

The flood wall then saw itself as an ever-changing cultural landscape, gradually moving from typical graffiti art to its now well-known nuanced and mainly all-mural look. It currently features hundreds of murals from over two hundred artists featuring comic characters, pop culture and video game references, to original artwork.

“Murals are necessary because they show off the local art scene and important topics, [especially] relating to pop culture,” senior AP Art student, Logan Hawkins said.

Thanks to the city’s support, any mural work done on the wall during Labor Day weekend is officially legal. Yet, the wall still has the provoking elements of your typical public art installation. Artists are only given a few days to work on the structure legally, which, honestly, is not enough time to finish an extensive piece.

“Murals take a lot of time. They’re very time-consuming,” art teacher Denise Maples said. “When an artist is doing a mural that has many components in it, like background and depth, it’s time-consuming, expensive, and takes a lot of material.”

So, graffiti occasionally slips by, even landing on the rocky pebble and glass-strewn path in front of the wall, and lingers.

It is no secret that not everyone supports public art. There are legitimate reasons to feel that way as well. Many believe that commissioned public art is a waste of taxpayers’ money and offers no real benefits to their community. The reputation of vulgar graffiti also blemishes many cities, thus undermining the importance of public art.

“Now, there could be some murals that, depending on what you’re doing, could not be appropriate for the area, or might be overkill, or could be considered tacky,” Maples said. “But, I think if it’s well planned out and it’s got a purpose or a meaning, then it enriches the culture of the community.”

Undoubtedly, murals have widespread impacts. Murals and public artwork are catalysts for change. It’s the perfect opportunity for artists to express themselves, and issues they believe that truly matter.

“Murals help to create a sense of community. They become a talking point amongst locals and perhaps tourists,” art teacher Kim Skwira said. “If the artist is local to the community, it helps draw more attention to their city.”

In 2014, when the Ferguson protests occurred, St. Louis artists used the movement to create public artwork that resonated with protestors and advocates alike, channeling their art as a tool for political change.

“After the debacle in Ferguson many years ago, the community rallied around local businesses and painted murals as a way to board up windows of those who suffered devastation,” Skwira said. “This brought national attention, but positively for Ferguson.”

Many current murals on the Mural Mile advocate for political change and bring a unique spotlight on local and national issues.

Visitors can easily reach the flood wall by taking a few small streets near the Gateway Arch, where they’ll find this hidden masterpiece of St. Louis.