A new mural trail being created in Stockton, CA, is strategically designed to encourage people to take selfies and share them on social media. The project will eventually feature 15 giant “postcards” at sites intended to draw pedestrians through the city center while also providing education about local history and culture.
“People don’t really buy and write postcards and stamp them and mail them out anymore, but they do use social media,” says Sylwia Lipiec-Qualls, communications manager for the Downtown Stockton Alliance. “We are going to encourage them to take a photo of themselves in front of the murals, or just of the murals.
“The mural postcards will feature classic postcard designs and each will say something like “Greetings from Stockton, CA,” or “Welcome to the City of Stockton,” explains Lipiec-Qualls.
When completed, the mural trail will help focus attention on the core of the 55-block downtown district, “where the majority of the historic buildings and civic centers are,” Lipiec-Qualls says. “We want to add to the walkability of downtown, to encourage people to park their cars and walk around looking at the murals, the buildings, and learning something more about our history. We are planning on creating a map, and a publication devoted to the murals, with descriptions of each. We are also planning on having QR codes next to each mural so people who visit can interact by scanning the code to learn more about that piece of art, but also about the site where the mural is located. Once all 15 murals are completed, that will be quite a tour, and it will be a very interactive experience.
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