When scrolling through your Instagram feed, there's a good chance you've seen photos of friends posing in front of giant works of art on the sides of buildings.
These colorful murals are a great way for an artist to make a name for themselves. But beyond that, the murals can be great for a neighborhood and its businesses.
Tracy Weil is midway through his latest project: a 125-foot long mural in Denver’s River North Arts District.
Murals like Weil’s do more for a neighborhood than add a splash of color to an otherwise dull brick wall.
"It can really kind of give an identity to a neighborhood, which I think is pretty fantastic,” says Weil. “If there’s not a lot of people there, not a lot of restaurants, what the murals do is they start to draw people. And they start to draw business."
That’s exactly why the events center and nightclub behind the freshly-painted wall hires artists like Weil.
"I think it’s a great way to bring attention, to not just your specific business maybe, but to a neighborhood, to a region," says Andrew Feinstein, owner of EXDO Events Center and Tracks nightclub. “Regardless of what murals cost, it’s absolutely the right investment."
And it’s an investment that's paying off, particularly when it comes to presence on social media. John Beldock, owner of a local motorsport store and body shop, says their mural of Evel Knievel has seen its share of Instagram tags.
"Branding-wise, it really adds to what people think about us," says Beldock.
“It’s exiting to be a part of it; it makes a great selfie or Facebook profile pic or Instagram post,” says Weil. “And people really get into it.”