Albuquerque’s Amazing Mural Art

Ed Domain

December 4, 2020

 

Being new in a city only happens once, and when you land in a new city, you notice things. Allow me to explain.

I have been lucky enough to live in several cities around the U.S., and while visiting a city is one thing, moving to it is a whole different adventure. When you move somewhere new, you start to notice things. You aren’t used to your surroundings and it can be a sensory overload.

 

 

Even things like shopping aren’t easy. Everyday tasks and routines are suddenly different, and this was especially true for me in Albuquerque. I knew very little about the city when I arrived, so everything was new.

 

 

When I got here, I realized Albuquerque was special. It feels different than anywhere else I’ve lived, and I like it. Seeing the Sandias everyday is a treat, the food is amazing, and people are truly friendly. I heard people were nice here, but after experiencing it, I can confirm it’s true. People in Albuquerque smile, they wave, and every one I’ve met has been friendly. (It was a nice surprise.)

 

As I drove around the first few days learning where everything is, I saw a mural and remember thinking, “oh that mural is pretty”. Later I saw a few more, and thought “oh that mural is funny, and that one… wait. There are a lot of murals in Albuquerque, aren’t there?”

 

 

It turns out there are a lot of murals in Albuquerque, and they are amazing. Everything from political activism, to TV shows, to business advertising, to pure art- it is impossible to go to Albuquerque and not see murals.

 

 

I took a day and drove around town. I didn’t have an agenda other than seeing how many murals I could run into on my own. It turns out I saw A LOT. Later in the day I found the website MurosABQ, which could have saved me a lot of trouble had I looked for it before heading out.

 

 

If you’re interested, I suggest making a day of it! You can easily spend a day driving or walking Albuquerque to see its many murals, and you can go the adventure way (like yours truly) or use the map provided on MurosABQ to plan your trip in a more intentional way.