MURAL SLAM
The murals are up — and your vote picks the winner.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Mural Slam at Artists' Row, and our biggest yet. Over Salem Arts Festival weekend, 12 artists transformed blank 8' × 4' canvases into finished works of art, right out in the open. The painting's done — but the best part is still yours.
People's Choice Award
The finished murals are on view now at Artists' Row, 24 New Derby St., in Downtown Salem. Go see them in person, pick your favorite, and cast your vote — the winning artist takes home an extra $500.
🗳️ Voting closes Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 PM
SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!
LOCAL ARTISTS
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LIVE PAINTING
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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE!
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LOCAL ARTISTS ✳︎ LIVE PAINTING ✳︎ VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE! ✳︎
Nicole Garcia (Kiki Arts)
"I See You and I Love You"
Artist: A multidisciplinary Dominican artist from Lawrence, MA whose mixed-media work explores identity, resilience, and transformation, inviting viewers into spaces of reflection and becoming.
Piece: A collage of faces celebrating the cultures, people, food, and architecture of Salem — a love letter to the city and the communities who make it feel seen and loved.
Instagram: @kikididdat
Jennifer Wackerle
"Crustacean Ahoy!"
Artist: A multi-medium artist working in paint, sculpture, crochet, and more, with a constant focus on the whimsical and fantastical.
Piece: A whimsical crab inspired by Dead Horse Beach near the Willows — a playful nod to Salem's maritime history and a beloved local resident.
Sabrina East
"The Seasons"
Artist: A Salem-based multimedia artist, pastry chef, and self-described "freelance witch," known for surreal, dreamlike work in a style she calls "dark organized chaos."
Piece: The four seasons portrayed as fairies in seasonal dress, holding a banner celebrating Salem's 400th anniversary — a commemoration of the passing of time and a nod to the city's magical atmosphere.
Instagram: @artbysabrinaeast
Zoe Jansen
"It Takes A Village"
Artist: A Salem State University graduate and multi-medium artist (photography, sculpture, painting) whose bold work centers belonging, inclusivity, and community.
Piece: A portrait of the friends, advocates, local businesses, and residents who define Salem — a celebration of the communal effort behind the city's identity.
Instagram: @beautyofgrey16
Sheila Farren Billings
"Salem 400+ ~~ Still Growing"
Artist: A local award-winning artist, muralist, and children's book author/illustrator, and a retired Salem-area teacher who now creates full time.
Piece: A gnarled ancient tree against a golden background, its branches cycling through the seasons to depict 400+ years of Salem history, dated 1626 to 2026+.
Instagram: @SheilaFarrenBilling
Krystle Brown
"City of Peace"
Artist: A Salem-based multimedia artist whose working-class roots shape a community-centered practice exploring class, ancestry, place, and labor.
Piece: A layered, symbol-rich design — a hand rising from water, native and invasive plants, a schooner and Derby Lighthouse — reflecting Salem as a sanctuary built through harm, healing, and welcome.
Instagram: @krystlebrown_art
Ammy Gonzalez
"De La Isla" ("From the Island")
Artist: A Dominican-born artist and designer based in Boston, studying graphic design at MassArt, with a practice rooted in storytelling, community, and public art.
Piece: A celebration of identity and pride of origin, featuring the artist's younger self and cherished childhood flowers from the Dominican Republic — connecting to Salem's diverse community.
Instagram: @gonzartt
Emily Kwong
"E Pluribus Unum (From Many to One)"
Artist: An artist who creates for the community that comes with the work, weaving the stories of the people who have touched her life into each piece.
Piece: A tribute honoring Salem as the birthplace of the National Guard (1636) and the service of the men and women who protect their community and nation.
Instagram: @kwongster_k
James Paul Davis
"Sisterhood with Nature"
Artist: A Boston-based painter and foraging instructor whose vibrant, psychedelic work depicts all beings as brethren rather than underlings.
Piece: Inspired by Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables and the Black-capped Chickadee, a call to balance modern life with respect for the nature that predates settlement. Instagram: @notorious.jpd
Naijah Garrett (Naijah Nine)
"Bird Dance"
Artist: A Black, queer, MassArt-trained interdisciplinary artist (drawing, painting, sculpture) whose work authentically portrays BIPOC communities, trauma, and mental health.
Piece: An abstract depiction of dance, nature, and Indigenous identity, honoring Salem's ancestral roots and the enduring presence of founding tribes like the Naumkeag.
Instagram: @naijahnine
Dewa Raka-Goncalves (Dewa)
"Historic Salem"
Artist: A self-taught painter born and raised in Bali, Indonesia, who returned to his lifelong passion after moving to America, aiming to bring joy through his oil paintings.
Piece: An oil painting of historic maritime Salem — the view from his own backyard — celebrating the city's seafaring heritage.
Instagram: @dewatheartist7077
G Daigle
"This Is Where I Found Myself"
Artist: A North Shore artist with a BA in printmaking and painting from Salem State University, working intuitively and on a large scale as a "vessel" between something larger and the canvas.
Piece: An abstract expressionist work capturing the constant movement and vivid emotion of Salem, shaped by the artist's years downtown and walking past Artist Row each day.
Instagram: @gdaigleart
