We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Rodriguez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.

Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Our journey began in 2020 amidst nationwide protests, where we initially painted messages of social justice on plywood boards covering storefront windows. The sight of passersby joining in to paint, businesses seeking messages of support, and media amplifying our efforts turned our art into a symbol of hope amid turmoil. Instead of just covering up damage, our artwork became a catalyst for dialogue and reflection, transforming spaces into platforms for positive change.

Today, our impact continues to grow as businesses actively support social causes, artists harness their talents for community benefit, and diverse communities seek platforms for expression and empowerment. Walls for Justice has emerged as a nationwide catalyst, bridging these stakeholders to create impactful public art that addresses local issues and fosters community resilience.

Our initiatives span public spaces, schools, and museums, where local artists collaborate with community members to co-create meaningful artworks. To date, Walls for Justice has produced over 100 public artworks and activations, partnering with more than 50 businesses and community organizations. These efforts have engaged over 2,000 volunteers, showcasing our commitment to inclusive community involvement and social transformation through art.

Central to our success is a robust community network that supports our endeavors and amplifies our impact. This network not only strengthens our projects but also ensures that our artwork resonates deeply with the communities it serves, inspiring dialogue, promoting understanding, and fostering a sense of collective responsibility for positive change.

Through our ongoing work, Walls for Justice remains dedicated to using art as a powerful tool for advocacy, education, and empowerment, demonstrating the enduring impact of creative expression in shaping inclusive and resilient communities.

Sam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Artist Bio:

Sam Rodriguez is a muralist and a multi-disciplinary teaching artist with the belief that art creates social change. Based out of Philadelphia, PA. Sam has taught Art for more than 11 years in the Mural Arts program. Sam merges art & entrepreneurship to teach his students essential skills needed to navigate and how to create lasting social impact in today’s creative economy. As an Artist,

Sam is best known for his forward-thinking in June 2020, when he organized businesses, artists, and community members to unite and paint murals where once businesses were for protection from protesters. This protection in the form of ply-wood walls left an uninviting presence in the community. By painting murals that quote inspirational P.O.C, Sam discovered a possibility to transcended the polarity between the businesses and the protests to actually bring them together. The way Samuel explains the meaning behind his work is that we all have a shared mission to make the world a better place.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Recognition for doing good! So often we see negativity glorified over what’s positive.

Since the inception of WFJ our projects have garnered substantial media coverage across various platforms such as news stories, podcast interviews, webinars, and speaking engagements. This visibility not only reflects the widespread recognition of our work but also underscores our ability to manage projects of significant scale and complexity.

Moreover, our receipt of multiple awards further validates our expertise and effectiveness in executing public art projects. Awards such as Mayor Cherrell Parker Certificate of Appreciation, the Philly Family Editors Award for outstanding resilience, and the Graffiti Glow UP Award from WHYY highlight our commitment to artistic excellence and community impact. These accolades not only celebrate our achievements but also demonstrate our capability to deliver artwork that meets the highest standards of creativity and community engagement.

In summary, these accomplishments underscore my proven ability to conceive, execute, and manage artwork projects that meet the scale, size, and medium requirements stipulated for this opportunity, ensuring that I can deliver impactful and meaningful contributions to the Barrett Playground community.

List:

• 2021 – Councilwoman (Now Mayor) Cherrell Parker, Certificate of Appreciation for the Nedro and Hammond Baseball field Mural Project

• 2021 – Philly Family, Editors Awards from the Annual Love Awards for outstanding resilience in 2020

• 2021 – Graffiti Glow UP Award from The Billies Awards ( WHYY) for best street art in 2020

• 2022 – Block Brighteners, Best of Philadelphia Award by Philadelphia Magazine

• 2024 – Clinical Supervisor Award- Drexel University

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

FOR ME, its the chance to make a significant and enduring impact on a person, community, & city!

My city, Philadelphia, portrays the classic American city — it’s rich in history, culture, and diversity. But underneath the surface, Philadelphia experiences the same issues that are all too common across the United States: community violence, social inequities, extreme poverty, mental health issues, and climate change concerns among others. While these issues are systemic (and therefore widespread), BIPOC and other marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by them. To tackle these problems, we must actively listen to and learn from those who are marginalized. Their stories, experiences, and messages shed light on the systemic issues at play and offer insight on how to best achieve social change. Using art, we can create a voice for the voiceless and create positive change that brings people together in solidarity with one another, reshaping perspective by transforming spaces.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Wallsforjustice.org
• Instagram: Wallsforjustice
• Facebook: Wallsforjustice
• Other: Subscribe to our email newsletter on our website!

Image Credits

n/a ( take mostly by me)