Remembering the State Street murals from 2020
Following destructive protests after police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, artists painted murals on the plywood covering many State Street businesses in the spring of 2020.
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Emida Roller, right, and her daughter, Zaria, 17, left, paint a mural on the exterior of Himal Chuli that is boarded up with Akash Pradhan, whose grandparents own the restaurant, on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Murals are painted on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
It's unclear how long the murals on State Street will remain, but each is being photographed. There is also talk of donating some to the Wisconsin Historical Society, and also talk of an auction.
Ophelia Tsa, employee at Taiwan Little Eats, helps paint a mural on the the exterior of the restaurant that has been boarded up on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Sapphina Roller, 19, right, paints a mural expressing black power with her brother, Solomon, 21, on the boarded-up exterior of The Soap Opera on State Street. Artists from throughout the community have come to the city's Downtown to brighten the sea of plywood installed last week after vandals broke windows and looted some businesses. Some merchants who did not sustain window damage put up plywood as a protective measure.
Zaria Roller, 17, paints a mural on the exterior of Himal Chuli, a Nepalese restaurant. The painting is of two fishes that in Nepal's culture symbolize breath.
August, 414 State St., is a shoe and clothing retailer but also a social scene where Instagram is central and hanging out is encouraged. Its windows are among those painted with messages of hope and inspiration.
Brooklyn Doby, a recent Edgewood College graduate, paints a mural on the exterior of Moxe Health as the business is boarded up on State Street in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
One of the largest murals on State Street is on the side of Triangle Market. A variety of artists have been involved with the project, but some are being paid through a city program designed to encourage artists and cultural expression.
Local artist Daniella Echeverria paints a mural Tuesday on the boarded exterior of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Overture Center is also covered in plywood to protect its windows.
Local artist Mike Lroy spray paints a mural on the boarded up exterior of Tutto Pasta on State Street in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Local artist Mike Lroy spray paints a mural on the boarded up exterior of Tutto Pasta on State Street in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Local artist Daniella Echeverria paints a mural on the boarded exterior of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Sapphina Roller, 19, left, works on a mural with her sister, Zaria, 17, and mom, Emida, as local artists make art on boarded up businesses on State Street in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Artists Brooklyn Doby, left, a recent Edgewood College graduate, and Synovia Knox, a recent UW-Madison graduate, work on Campus Ink, a tattoo shop at 514 State St.
(From left) Sapphina Roller, 19, her mom, Emida and sister, Zaria, 17, pack up art supplies after painting a mural on a boarded up business on State Street in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 2, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Amber Arnold | Wisconsin State Journal
Amber Arnold is a staff photographer for the Wisconsin State Journal.
Temporary paintings on plywood covering windows have turned the street into a pop-up gallery that is drawing crowds and making a statement in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.
SOS’ sixth sense is tingling in favor of Don Showalter getting his money back for a lawn care application never applied.
Anthony M. Torres, 20, faces more criminal charges than anyone else for events during riots this summer.
The beloved bookstore will depart the city's downtown this spring as its space is targeted for redevelopment.
The smokeshop and gift store has been a downtown staple since 1972.
Transportation Commission members were largely opposed Wednesday to closing the 100 to 300 blocks, but asked for more answers on how lower State Street could be converted into a pedestrian mall on most weekends this summer.
Wisconsin Cheese Mart has been closed for over a year but will reopen Saturday as a positive sign amid a year of turmoil.
The encounter led to the firing of an Overture employee, a sped-up timeline for more training about micro-aggressions and unconscious bias — but also should not detract from a groundbreaking and important artistic show at MMOCA.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” -- Martin Luther King.
Natural light, customers and hope have begun to return on State Street. But uneasiness remains even as the plywood starts to come off the windows.
In separate, unrelated criminal complaints, one man is charged with burglaries at East Towne, the other with burglary on State Street.
Prosecutors have now charged four people with burglary for looting at Fontana Sports on Henry Street.
After rejecting $250,000 for State Street businesses and others damaged during looting, the City Council will consider providing $60,000.
With State Street businesses mostly boarded up, the worst damage occurred on Capitol Square, where vandals smashed windows at more than a dozen buildings, looted some stores and spray-painted slogans.