You Are Beautiful
You Are Beautiful is a message spread internationally by way of painted graffiti, stickers, and other installations. In the Birmingham area it has been painted in several prominent locations by two anonymous artists.
According to a statement at you-are-beautiful.com, the purpose of the project is to make the world a better place by "creating moments of positive self realization".
The first widely-seen local installation was on the south side of the Highland Avenue overpass, seen from the northbound lanes of the Elton B. Stephens Expressway heading into Birmingham from over the mountain. It was painted in October 2010 and generated a great deal of reaction, much of it positive. The white lettering, applied with paint rollers, was defaced on December 24 and later buffed out with gray paint by city crews.
Other installations include:
- A red cursive script version on the second floor of the Industrial Diesel & Hydraulic building on 2nd Avenue South at 20th Street, facing downtown. ("...sike" was later added to the message by others)
- A red and green block-letter version on the east side of the ___ building, facing the Shoe Factory Skate Slab across 1st Avenue South from the Railroad Park.
- A white block-letter version was painted on the concrete retaining wall at Richard Arrington, Jr Boulevard South, below Warwick Drive near the Vulcan Trail head at Vulcan Park.
References
- Robinson, Carol (October 26, 2010) "Message on Birmingham overpass is clear but officials uncertain who put it there." Birmingham News
- Archibald, John (December 3, 2010) "You are beautiful, Birmingham." Birmingham News
- "The Artists behind the “You are Beautiful” Project talk with BirminghamMommy.com" (January 28, 2011) Birmingham Mommy