New Mural On 24th St By Shawn Bullen

The side of the Radio Shack building on 24th Street is getting a new look this week with the addition of a giant greenish blue, black and gold mural. The project is part of a citywide celebration of small business and a promotion involving the American Express national #ShopSmall promotion plus major San Francisco partners including SF Travel, the Office of Small Business, Invest in Neighborhoods, and the SF Chamber of Commerce. We asked around, and Carol Yenne of Small Frys connected us with Dani Sheehan-Meyer of Cliché Noe who in turn connected us to a representative of Small Business Saturday Coalition based in Washington, DC.

The artist, Shawn Bullen, is an accomplished muralist who has painted hundreds of pieces around the country. The artist claims he’s created murals in most cities in North America and plans to create works on every continent in the next five years. He’s also been teaching mural painting for 8 years. You can see some his work on his personal site -  ShawnBullen.com - or follow him on Instagram: @shawnbullen1.

We asked the organizers a few questions about the mural and here’s what we learned:

How did you choose the artist for this project? The mural was created through a partnership between American Express and the SF Arts Commission. The artist, Shawn Bullen, was selected by the SF Arts Commission.

How was the design was chosen - was it the artist's discretion or did you give him some guidelines? The artist was free and open to create his own design, representative of his work to include the “Shop Small” icon.  The concept and initial sketches were approved by the Commission, building owner etc.

How is the building owner involved in the project if at all? And is it meant to be a permanent mural? The building owner was involved, and the mural is permanent.

We were also able to connect with Shawn today while he was painting. Shouting up to the lift he was working from, we asked if his mural has a name. He thought for a few seconds and replied: “Dream Big.” Love it.

The mural is a work in progress but looks like it will be done in plenty of time for Small Business Saturday – which is this Saturday - November 29.

[Photos: Murals via NVSF; Shawn selfie via shawnbullen1]