Mural art has a rich history that stretches back thousands of years, with many murals found within ancient Egyptians tombs. Contemporary street art as we know it stemmed from New York City’s graffiti boom that grew significantly in the 1960s and 1970s.
Street art has continued to flourish, and with the wild popularity of social media, a lot of murals are interactive. They’re designed to be posed with and shared on social media. See how many you want to pose with!
Goddezz Sisters June, Meechie and Blue Enjoy Their Favorite Book – New York, New York
Prolific and gifted mural artist Konstance Patton created this vivid, lovely mural at the main branch of the New York Public Library at 455 5th Avenue. It was completed on November 7, 2020.
Called “Goddezz Sisters June, Meechie and Blue Enjoy Their Favorite Book,” the mural depicts Konstance and her two sisters Kendra Silverman and Kira Patton. They are holding the books that encouraged them to be dreamers. People who come here for a selfie often hold their own favorite books for the photo.
Gayte Pride – New York, New York
Adrian Wilson‘s Gayte Pride mural was created in June 2021 for Pride month. Located in the NoLita neighborhood of Manhattan at 246 Bowery, it was painted on a long-closed storefront that’s managed by The LISA Project. It celebrates the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and it also serves as a tribute to iconic New York City artist Keith Haring.
Wilson explained to us, “When Keith Haring was dying, he explained that though he knew his physical life was coming to an end, his art would live on forever and inspire others. This mural is proof of that.”
Lubbock and Sunrise Mural – Lubbock, Texas
Located at CASP Studios at 1106 5th Street in Lubbock, Texas, this mural depicts a striking sunrise that has inspired many selfies. You may opt to stand right in the center of the sunrise or sit in front of the mural. Either way, the selfie is sure to be radiant and cheerful.
The Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP) is a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to nurturing a working artists’ community in Lubbock.
Rescue! Adopt! Mural – New York, New York
Created in June 2021, the Rescue! Adopt! mural by Praxis was created in collaboration with LISA Project NYC. It’s located on Avenue A between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. The eye-catching, two-part piece is not only beautiful to look at, but it also has a deep meaning. It implores passersby to rescue animals and adopt when they can.
Artist Praxis uses art as a force for social change. People often stand on either side of the mural or in between the pieces for their selfie.
Challenge Everything. Create Anything. Mural – Ann Arbor, Michigan
It would be difficult to find a midwestern city that’s more vibrant and creative than Ann Arbor, Michigan, so this colorful mural seems just perfect for visitors who are eager to snap a special selfie. It’s located on the 10-story tall wall of Courthouse Square at 100 South 4th Avenue.
Called the “Challenge Everything. Create Anything.” mural by its creators Mary Thiefels and Danijel Matanic, it’s an inspiring work of art that’s a bit like peeking into the whirlwind of the creative mind.
Bunnie Cakes Cupcake Mural – Doral, Florida
Located at 8450 NW 53rd Street in Doral, Florida, this cute and endearing mural is located outside the bakery Bunnie Cakes. What’s not to love about the pastel array of sweet treats? They include a rainbow cake, cupcakes and cake slices. Also included in the mural are rainbows, balloons, hearts and geometric designs.
People often stop and show off their aesthetically pleasing treats with a selfie.
Rainbow Mural for Frontline Workers – Nashville, Tennessee
Located at the Publix at 1010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Kelsey Montague’s cheerful rainbow mural was created to honor frontline workers such as grocery store associates. With the artist’s gratitude for how frontline workers kept the United States going throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, this mural was painted on the back, street-facing side of Publix.
The mural embodies a great sense of hope for putting the pandemic in the past, and it serves as a reminder that better days are coming.
Kelsey Montague’s Covid-19 Memorial – Knoxville, Tennessee
Kelsey Montague created this memorial wall mural to honor the more than 600 residents of Knoxville who died from Covid-19. Each bird in the mural is unique and represents a person who lost their life to the pandemic. After quiet reflection, Kelsey encourages people to stand in front of the mural and appear to be releasing the flock to the heavens.
In the tradition of people turning to art to help them process grief and other complex emotions, the artist created this piece with the hope that it would be cathartic and to honor those who died from Covid-19.
Finding Tomorrow Mural – Richmond, Virginia
Located at 511 N. Adams Street in Richmond, Virginia, the Finding Tomorrow mural honors artist Lorna Pinckney. She was a writer, singer, graphic designer and business owner who was dedicated to empowering her fellow writers and artists.
She passed away at the young age of 43, but she’ll “be remembered as a creative visionary force,” according to Richmond Magazine. She elevated the local culture by starting such projects as Tuesday Verses, the city’s enduring, open mic poetry series. This mural was a joint creation of Hamilton Glass and Eli McMullen.
Save Them Mural – New York, New York
The Save Them mural was created by Praxis at 28 Avenue A in the charming East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Since it has two panels with equally impactful imagery, people often pose in the middle of the two murals for their selfie. This isn’t just a casual selfie spot, though. It encourages people to respect and take steps to save wildlife each time it’s shared.
Abraham Lincoln Mural – Lexington, Kentucky
Created by acclaimed Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, the Lincoln mural is a colorful kaleidoscope depiction of the nation’s 16th president. It’s located on the back wall of the Kentucky Theatre at 214 E. Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s a bit of a meta art piece because it doesn’t just depict Abraham Lincoln; it’s also an artistic rendering of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., another presidential work of art.
Lexington is filled with interesting street art. For the past few years, this has been bolstered by VisitLEX’s Mural Challenge which features dozens of street art installations around the city’s downtown area.
Our Treehouse – Honolulu, Hawaii
The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Honolulu, Hawaii boasts an incredible mural in its lobby. Iconic Hawaii artists Matthew and Roxanne Ortiz go by the artist name of Wooden Wave, and they created this special mural called “Our Treehouse.” It depicts what the hotel might look like if it was a treehouse-style hotel, and the creative imagination of this artist duo is on full display here.
Taking a selfie with this hotel mural is a tradition for plenty of Honolulu travelers.
Goddezz Kendra of Healing and Giggles – New York, New York
Located at 47 Howard Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, the mural Goddezz Kendra of Healing and Giggles was created by Konstance Patton. It depicts her sister Kendra, a physician’s assistant, and the artist observed that, like her sister, the mural was healing and brought a spirit of laughter to the community.
People often take selfies in pairs at this mural, standing on each side of Kendra.
The Secret Garden at Wynwood Walls – Miami, Florida
Kelsey Montague was honored to have been asked by Goldman Global Arts to create a piece at Wynwood Walls in 2019. This piece is her secret garden and encourages people to step into a hidden oasis. Its swing and door invite each visitor into a colorful, imaginative world that’s fun and quite photogenic for selfies.
You can pose in a variety of ways with the garden, whether you want to sit and take it all in or stop at the swing.
End Speciesism – Los Angeles, California
The End Speciesism mural by artist Cache provides animal lovers with a fun photo opportunity. It’s located on the Bob Barker building at PETA in Los Angeles, California.
For decades as the host of “The Price Is Right,” legendary entertainer Bob Barker would sign off by asking viewers to please have their pets spayed or neutered. He educated millions of fans on how to best protect their companion animals and help control the pet population, so it’s fitting that this mural is on the building that’s named in his honor.
Kind Comments Mural – Nashville, Tennessee
Music City has a lot of awesome street art. Artist Adrien Saporiti created the Kind Comments mural at 209 3rd Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee. It was commissioned as part of Instagram’s #KindComments campaign in support of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
With its many gorgeous colors, you may be inspired to stare at the piece for a while. This mural honors Pride Month, but it also is a great stop for selfies and solidarity any time of the year.
Adopt, Don’t Shop at the Wellington Court Mural Project – Queens, New York
The Adopt mural by Praxis is part of the the Wellington Court Mural Project. This impressive and historical community beautification project has been going strong since it started in 2009. Aptly calling itself “a beautiful collective statement of integrating positive social change via the culture of street art,” the Wellington Court Mural Project transformed its neighborhood into one that’s now much sought-after for residents and visitors.
The Adopt mural helps spread the word about the importance of adopting companion animals from shelters.
Muscle Arms – Cranston, Rhode Island
Kelsey Montague‘s Muscle Arms mural makes people smile and want to interact with some fun selfie poses. Whether you’re a fitness buff or simply want a photo that reminds you of your inner strength, this mural is picture-perfect. It’s located at Lululemon in the Garden City Center in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Guardians of the Four Directions – Washington, D.C.
Artist Cita Sadeli, also known as MISS CHELOVE, created this awe-inspiring mural on the exterior of the new Hotel Zena. It can be seen prominently at Thomas Circle in downtown Washington, D.C.
Called the Guardians of the Four Directions, this bold work of art depicts a pair of determined and strong sentinel women warriors. They have come to protect Mother Earth. This four-story mural was created to celebrate female empowerment.