It’s not doing much for the murder rate, I’m afraid. Although, come to think of it, Renaissance Italy was a pretty violent place, too. Maybe art isn’t as good for the soul as we think it is.

There’s another problem with murals, too: upkeep. Lots of entities can be induced to pay an artist to paint a mural. It’s a lot harder to convince businesses, foundations, and governments to pay people to keep them in repair for years, decades… maybe forever? This is, after all, art that is exposed to the elements, and the relentless tooth of time.