The piece was curated and facilitated by arts and music festival Overlay during last year’s event in Springfield. Installed live during the event, the mural serves as a tribute to route 66 and the generations of travelers, dreamers and adventurers connected to the historic roadway.
The awards include the regional gold for the Midwest and the National Silver Award, placing the Springfield installation among the country's most celebrated mural projects this year and helping to put the city’s growing public art scene on a larger stage.
In addition to the recognition by the National Mural Awards the piece was also recently featured on Street Art Cities, an international platform used by travelers and art enthusiasts to discover destinations through public art tourism.
Meg Wagler, the founder and CEO of Overlay, said curating and facilitating public art can be a challenging prospect but when done properly with community support and trust, big things are possible.
For more information on Overlay Fest, visit their website, Instagram and Facebook pages.
“Hitchhikers” can be found at Birthplace Plaza in downtown Springfield.
