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A look at 10 unique, must-see murals in Mobile, Alabama [PHOTOS]
ByLiv George
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Mobile may be known for being the one true home of Mardi Gras and wildly unpredictable weather, but did you know that Alabama’s Port City is also known for its artistic flair? Mainly, in the form of murals that line the city’s streets.
One hardly has to walk a city block to find a new batch of street art lining local shops and restaurants. We’ve rounded up some of the must-see murals in Mobile for your next trip to the Port City!
1. Delta Bike Project
Location: 561 St. Francis St.
Delta Bike Project, alongside other downtown Mobile businesses, commissioned this piece in 2014. It features iconic Mobile landmarks: the USS Alabama, Mobile city skyline, marine life, the cruise terminal, and more!
It took a team of around 20 street artists, led by Kathy Friedline, just less than a month to complete the piece. It still stands today, seven years later, as a testament to all things Port City.
2. Heart of Mobile
Location: 9 S. Joachim St.
In the busiest part of downtown, this mural by JRB2 adds a pop of color to the bustling city. The Heart of Mobile is arguably the most popular mural downtown—in fact, it even has its own website to help tourists find the landmark.
3. The Souls of Mobile
Location: Corner of Dauphin and Jackson St.
Mobile has heart and soul! This Van-Gough inspired mural was painted on the side of Hayley’s Bar by street artist Ginger Woechan. Inspiration for the piece came from the phrase “love and light” painted alongside Woechan’s signature on the mural.
The mural is an ode to downtown specifically, featuring prominent buildings in the area like Soul Kitchen, a live music venue, and the Retirement Services of Alabama (RSA) building that defines Mobile’s skyline.
4. Greer’s Downtown
Location: 851 Government St.
Even grocery shopping is full of art in Mobile! Founded in 1918, Greer’s was an innovative grocery store for its time, advertising lower-than-the-rest prices in a time where grocery prices were hardly advertised at all.
This mural covers the front and street-side portions of the building as an homage to founding of Greer’s and the City of Mobile in 1918.
5. Prince, Michael Jackson, and more!
Location: 401 Dauphin St.
Four local street artists turned this unused, boarded-up building into a living art installation. DeAnthony Dulaney, Noelle Goodson, Stallworth and Conz8000 each contribute to the mural during their spare time.
The images feature pop culture icons and politicized statements. The mural was defaced in 2016, with a vandal covering Black Lives Matter slogans and defacing the art. It was publicly restored and stays updated with different iconic figures added to the piece from time-to-time.
6. Dauphin Street Blues Company
Location: 568 Dauphin St
The mural on the Dauphin Street Blues Company is, well…blue! Painted in 2014 by artist Harlan Toole, the mural is an abstract look at Dauphin Street, as if through the blue-tinted lenses of a forlorn blues player.
7. Toomey’s
Known as THE Mardi Gras supply store, Toomey’s commissioned a mural from artist E. Allen Warren in 2013. It features the city skyline, a Mardi Gras King and Queen, parade-goers, and a banner with the phrase “get your party started.”
Toomey’s mural is truly a representation of Mardi Gras and brightens up an otherwise busy area of Midtown.
8. Penelope’s Closet
Location: 2907 Old Shell Rd.
Painted as a gift by E. Allen Warren, the pink-and-purple mural covers the entirety of the thrift store, Penelope’s Closet. The shop is a non-profit, with all proceeds going directly to Penelope House, a local women and children’s shelter for victims of domestic violence.
The mural features a purple ribbon, the color of domestic violence awareness. Also present is a mother holding her baby with the quote “know the signs, know your worth.”
9. LoDa Bier Garten
Location: 251 Dauphin St
LoDa, or Lower Dauphin, refers to the art district on Dauphin Street. It’s only fitting that the LoDa Bier Garten have an out-of-this-world mural! In 2013, a visiting artist, Joe Hobbs, painted the wraparound scene that reads like a grown-up, edgier Lisa Frank notebook.
10. Mobile’s Natural Beauty
Location: 4851 Museum Dr
Most of Mobile’s murals are a way of prettying-up an otherwise utilitarian building. This is no exception! Called “Mobile’s Natural Beauty” the piece is actually the entrance to a recycling center for Mobilians.
It started off as a temporary installation for Mobile’s yearly Festival of Flowers in 2019, painted by a group of local teens led by Riley Brenes. After the festival was over, the mural was expanded to become the cover for the recycling compactor, showing the beauty of what we can save when we recycle.
There’s no shortage of murals in Mobile! Wherever you go in the Port City, her art and culture will follow.
What’s your favorite mural in Mobile? Tag us @thebamabuzz to let us know!
