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. The white lettering was applied with paint rollers in October 2010 and generated a great deal of reaction, much of it positive. A mention of the story was made on NPR's national "Morning Edition" program. Mayor William Bell applauded the spirit of the message and an official in his office suggested that it "should be replicated all over the city". Nevertheless, the Alabama Department of Transportation made plans to remove the graffiti when weather conditions permitted. Before they did so, the message was defaced on December 24 and buffed out with gray paint by city crews later the same day.
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. This piece was executed while the road was closed for icy conditions on January 10, 2011
- A planned mural on the side of Monarch Cleaners at 903 Broadway Street in Homewood is the only piece so far to be executed with permission of the property owner. The half-completed work is awaiting another approval from the Homewood City Council.
- On the south wall of the former Colonial Bank branch on 21st Street South near Magnolia Avenue.
- On a pedestrian walkway at UAB Green.
References
- Robinson, Carol (October 26, 2010) "Message on Birmingham overpass is clear but officials uncertain who put it there." Birmingham News
- Kelly, Mary Louise (October 27, 2010) "Overpass Message: You Are Beautiful" Morning Edition, National Public Radio
- Archibald, John (December 3, 2010) "You are beautiful, Birmingham." Birmingham News
- Archibald, John (December 10, 2010) "Birmingham's Beautiful movement gathers steam." Birmingham News
- Gray, Jeremy (December 21, 2010) ""You Are Beautiful" sign will be removed from Birmingham overpass." Birmingham News
- "The Artists behind the “You are Beautiful” Project talk with BirminghamMommy.com" (January 28, 2011) Birmingham Mommy
External links
- You Are Beautiful Birmingham on Facebook.com