“Recognizing that the least we can do is to leave our communities more beautiful than we found them, we have decided to do more… We have accepted our own challenge to make our craft relevant. Some call them murals, others large paintings; but all know them as force fields activated in service of our liberation.”
– Nelson Stevens

In the early 1970s, influential artist and University of Massachusetts professor Nelson Stevens (1938-2022) initiated a transformative public art project that resulted in the creation of over 30 indoor and outdoor murals throughout the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Inspired by the ethos of the Black Arts Movement and grassroots community murals like the Wall of Respect (1967) in Chicago, the murals honored the communities in which they were painted. In addition to beautifying the city, the murals functioned as gathering spots for neighbors to congregate, outdoor galleries, and backdrops for artists to activate. At a time when popular culture included few positive depictions of African Americans, the murals were sites where Black people could see themselves and their history portrayed with dignity, pride, and respect.

This community archive is a work in progress that aims to document the important murals created by Nelson Stevens and his students. The archive focuses on murals created in Springfield between 1973 and 1977, many of which were located in the McKnight-Hill District and Mason Square, as well as the Bay neighborhood in Springfield. Although very few of these murals survive today, the cultural legacy of this incredible endeavor lives on through programs like the Community Mural Institute and continues to inspire new generations of artists to see themselves as agents of change in their communities.

We invite you to add to this community archive by sharing stories, photographs, and memories. Through community support, this interactive map can become a more complete resource for artists, researchers, and community members.