“Make Art Not War”; Recreating a Fairey Mural & Helping Ukrainians in Gainseville, Florida

Visionary Fam, a team of local artists from Gainesville, Florida, have completed a new mural by street artist Shepard Fairey, thanks to an initiative by local street art curator Irina Kanishcheva. The native of Lviv, Ukraine, has been looking for an opportunity to express solidarity with Ukrainians during the current war with Russia. With Fairey’s imprimatur, the team recreated one of his recent classic designs, now interpreted with the yellow and blue Ukrainian national colors.

Jah Seck helps with the execution of Shepard Fairey’s Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)

It’s a straight-forward project; create art that shows solidarity on a wall donated by local business owner Scott Shillington of The Top, and keep the conversation going. They even raised three thousand dollars to send to folks there, thanks to Irina’s homemade borscht and vodka drinks. It’s good to see small groups come together to make a change – that’s the best way to circumvent the powerful interests who sometimes are making a profit off the fire, in fact who may be the arsonists.

Visionary Fam team executes Shepard Fairey’s Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Julia Monteiro helps with the execution of Shepard Fairey’s Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Shepard Fairey. Detail. Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Shepard Fairey. Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Shepard Fairey. Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Group shot. Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
Shepard Fairey. Make Art Not War mural in collaboration with Monochronicle for the Can Art Help Fight a War project. Gainesville, Florida. (photo © Charles Alan Rye)
238
138
45