Murals a preferred form of art in Nashua

NASHUA, N.H. — At least one Nashua resident has recently discovered black and red graffiti spray-painted on her property. It was especially upsetting because she had spent the previous 2 1/2 days scraping and filling in cement to get the area ready to be seal coated. The woman said that the perpetrators had also torn up her cement work.

Nashua Police are investigating the incident, but the defacement makes you scratch your head and wonder why. And you pray it doesn’t happen to your property.

Meantime, the Queen City is trying to stop a growing graffiti problem. An abandoned railroad trestle (now a popular pedestrian bridge) located over the Merrimack River that people enjoy using for walking, running and cycling was recently marred by graffiti.

Manchester Police have established Manchester Operation GRIT — Graffiti Removal Intel Tips. When you spot illegal graffiti, you can upload photos to manchestercrimeline.org.

On a brighter note, my city has created beautiful urban murals or legal graffiti walls across downtown, and a new mural was just unveiled last week at the corner of Main and Bowers streets on the red brick, south wall of The Doorway of Greater Nashua building, not far from Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. The Doorway program helps people with an opioid use disorder or other substance-use disorders.

Positive Street Art is the master behind the Gate City’s urban outdoor paintings. It is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “inspire passion for urban arts in a productive way and to build stronger communities through educational workshops, community events and artistic services.”

Positive Street Art has been sharing its colorful vision here for 10 years now. You can spot these attractive murals on walls of buildings that would otherwise go unnoticed. Graffiti walls often paint a story about a community and its people, increase appreciation for the arts and attract foot traffic throughout a city.

The Rotary Club of Nashua West commissioned Positive Street Art to create the inspiring mural that would represent the organization’s 50 years of “Service Above Self.”  And I must say, that’s one stunning work of art. You can’t help but notice the large mural as you drive or walk by.

Congratulations to Positive Street Art and its talented lead artist Manuel Phelany Ramirez and exceptional, fellow artists for another masterpiece gracing the Gate City.

Meanwhile, Nashua Rotary Club West continues its fine deeds throughout the area under the leadership of Cecilia Ulibarri, the club’s president (Matt Laliberte is president-elect). Ulibarri is also the president and co-founder of Positive Street Art and constituent services and cultural affairs coordinator for the city of Nashua.

Nashua Rotary Club West has extended its reach to many. Here are a few of the numerous organizations that have benefited: Adult Learning Center, Boys & Girls Club, Home Health and Hospice, Humane Society of Greater Nashua, Nashua Senior Activity Center, Nashua Special Olympics, Southern NH HIV/AIDS Task Force, and Symphony New Hampshire.

There are times I like ending my columns with a great quote from a great person because they always say it better than I ever could.

President John F. Kennedy made a speech at Amherst College on Oct. 26, 1963, in honor of the late poet Robert Frost:

“If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our nation falls short of its highest potential.”