Mayor William A. Flanagan unveiled a mural on Seabury Street on November 18, 2010 completed by local graffiti artists in the city as part of an ongoing initiative to clean up neighborhoods. The mural depicts the nearby Ruggles Park and Bank Street Tot Lot, areas that were once riddled with crime, as well as cartoon likenesses of the Mayor and Bank Street Neighborhood Association President Natalie Melo. A partnership established between the City of Fall River, the Greater Fall River Art Association, Home Depot and local art enthusiasts is now working to identify graffiti-ridden walls and replace them with murals which nurture and embrace the Arts. In addition, a program through the Greater Fall River Art Association has been established to work with youth throughout the city who may be involved in graffiti and offer them an area to practice without defacing public or private property. Click here for the Herald News article. For more information please contact Perry Long at the Office of Mayor William A. Flanagan – Division of Neighborhood Outreach, 508-676-0324.
 

(Top and middle row, left) Justin Estrella puts the finishing touches on a portion of the mural that depicts the nearby Bank Street Neighborhood. (Top row, center) Mayor Flanagan thanks the groups and individuals who were involved in creating the project at a news conference held in front of the mural, as two of the artists, Sheriff Tom Hodgson, Fall River Police Chief Dan Racine, and Art Association President Tiago Finato look on. (Top row, right) Artist John Almeida checks his drawing before painting another section. (Middle row, right) Artist Joey St. Pierre describes how he became involved in the project. (Bottom row, left) Mayor Flanagan talks with neighbor Bill Bosse about the mural. (Bottom row, right) Joey jokes with the Mayor as he points to his likeness on the mural.