Where others see a blank space, Dave Seidler sees a canvas.
Seidler is the founder of Muros, a global art agency that works with brands and businesses to create impactful murals and street art. The Muros philosophy is that any object has artistic potential, and that potential can be used to engage and empower communities.
"We believed we could create a bigger story and allow for a deeper connection between businesses and their customers, by uncovering talent that was already part of that community," Seidler told CO—. "Muros was born and fueled by a passion to create ways for artists to help our clients authentically speak to their audiences."
[Read: Making Art Shoppable: Artsy Wants to Turn More Consumers Into Collectors]
Muros was born and fueled by a passion to create ways for artists to help our clients authentically speak to their audiences.
Dave Seidler, founder, Muros
Turning adversity into art
The team at Muros has worked with many different types of organizations, from NBA teams to local small businesses. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Seidler and his team used the situation as an opportunity to find creative solutions for their clients. Rather than downsize their efforts, they decided to maximize their reach by addressing these uncertainties and reflecting that in their art.
One of the first campaigns Muros launched during the pandemic was Murals for Medical Relief (MFMR). This past May the agency teamed up with local Chicago artists to create art that showed support for frontline healthcare workers in Chicago. The murals raised awareness and showed support for the medical workers, who were short on equipment and long on working hours. Muros also sold prints of the art and started a GoFundMe page to raise money to provide workers with personal protective equipment.
The summer of 2020 also saw a significant amount of racial unrest. To help address these issues through art, Muros worked on two different mural projects. One was a partnership with @properties and artist Dwight White to create a mural inspired by the peaceful activism that called for racial equality. Muros also created a unity mural for Fifield Companies with an artist called Sentrock. The mural features Sentrock's signature characters embracing each other and holding hands.
"It's inspiring and refreshing to see real estate companies using their properties as a canvas for art, for social change and as a way to inspire healing in our community," said Seidler. "It's a perfect way to show how important it is to support each other and build a better way forward."
From an entrepreneurial perspective, Seidler believes that building a business is extremely exciting and rewarding, but it is also challenging—especially during a pandemic. Nonetheless, being able to merge his passions into a successful art business that supports local artists and communities has been well worth it.
"Staying level, passionate and continuously reminding yourself and team of where you're headed will help keep you charging forward!" Seidler said.
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