Pittsburgh Anti-Graffiti Project Keeps City Walls And Teens Clean

Kyle Holbrook is the director of the National City MLK Community Mural Project. The project selects teens who apply from at risk communities to paint 20 murals around Pittsburgh this summer. Holbrook says they will get paid while they learn.

"Definitely responsibility they have to be at work 30 hours a week and attend classes two days a week. And they are also working with kids from other neighborhoods."

“I live over in the depressed part of Beltzhoover," says Israel Johnson, 18, “so being able to contribute to the community making it look better makes me feel great."

Michael Peterson, 15, hopes he’s leaving a legacy.

"It makes me feel good. Maybe I'll be able to speak on it later to my children if it lasts that long," he said.

Murals also help deter graffiti, according to Holbrook. A mural painted a year ago on the East Liberty bus way has graffiti near it, but not on it.

"Once we put a mural down in the over 150 we have done, not one has been spray painted. So really the only absolute deterrent to graffiti is doing a mural.”, says Holbrook.

And the young painters agree.

"Having a mural up gives people in the neighborhood an appreciation, and I wouldn't touch it if I was a graffiti artist, it's too pretty," says Johnson.

Holbrook hopes the program continues to until one day when he can have a school dedicated to this work.