Smithfield hosts free art walk June 26—murals, poetry + more

An upcoming art walk in Birmingham will feature murals, art installations, sidewalk poetry and more, promising a memorable day of excitement for attendees.

The Smithfield Public Art Walk, taking place on Saturday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will take place along Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard and 5th Street North.

The event is FREE and open to the public.

There will be plenty to see and do, including:

A large-scale photo exhibit by Dapper Lou: “Smithfield’s Magic”
A live dance performance by The Files Art Project on A.H. Parker High School’s lawn
Two new community murals reflecting residents’ stories
A public art installation space at the future A.H. Parker Creative Campus
Immersive projection mapping on shipping containers exploring Smithfield’s past, present & future
Community-designed signage showcasing resident voices

Keep reading to learn more about the artists whose work will be featured at the Smithfield Public Art Walk.

The art walk is a collaboration between the City of Birmingham’s Departments of Community Development and Innovation and Economic Opportunity, Create Birmingham, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and other neighborhood partners committed to healing, history keeping and community investment.

Keeping the legacy of Smithfield alive

Smithfield is one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in Birmingham, according to the city. It’s the home of Parker High School, which served as the first four-year high school in Birmingham for Black students.

Well-known figures who hailed from the Smithfield area include activist Angela Davis, civil rights attorney Arthur Shores, musician and composer Sun-Ra and bandleader John T. “Fess” Whatley.

“All Smithfield residents are notable, however, with many having been at the heart of the civil rights movement and advancing human rights not just for their neighborhood but for the country.”

City of Birmingham

The goal of the event is to honor the neighborhood’s legacy “as a cradle of African American resilience, activism and culture,” the City of Birmingham said in a release.

“It’s where creative placemaking, community engagement, and public art collide. We want people to remember the story and use that story to catapult them into the future.”

Erica Chisolm, Senior Urban Designer for Community Development, City of Birmingham

Thanks to a $50 million CHOICE Neighborhood Implementation grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Birmingham is carrying out a project named “Honoring the Past and Envisioning the Future,” which will celebrate the past, present, and future of Smithfield.

In addition to events like the upcoming art walk, the grant will also aid the city in replacing Smithfield Court, a 500-unit public housing community built in 1942, and developing over 900 affordable housing units across the Smithfield, Graymont and College Hills communities.