Fall River Gets a New Mural, Kicks Off Spring Art Festival

On my drive home from work, right before getting on the bridge to head to Rhode Island, I noticed a man on the edge of a crane painting feverishly onto the side of a building. It looks like Fall River is getting a new mural, and it’s just one piece of an exciting spring edition of FABRIC 2021.

FABRIC Arts Festival is a celebration of art, music, community, and the city of Fall River. In their own words, they “aim to be a unique platform for artistic creation and promotion of artistic excellence that seeks to create a new experience of cultural impact and community participation.”

The FABRIC 2021 Spring edition will take place on May 14 and 15 and it will celebrate the SouthCoast spirit with several events like their “performance walks," group exhibitions, and art installations, and there will be an official unveiling of the “Viva Fall River” mural on the vintage Kay Building.

According to the press release, the FABRIC team will have the honor of unveiling the 40-foot-by-60-foot work of art at 4 Hartwell Street, created by Portuguese-based lettering designers Mariana Branco and Emanuel Barreira of Halfstudio. The mural will be executed by local artist Gregory Pennisten.

The mural will celebrate Fall River’s Portuguese heritage, taking inspiration from the “Fall River national anthem” by Jorge Ferreira called "Viva Fall River.’"Those words will shine brightly over the city and its inhabitants.

Fall River’s newest mural will be have its official unveiling on Saturday and it will usher in an exciting few days of arts and culture at the FABRIC Arts Festival. All programming is free and open to the public, but some activities require pre-registration.

Get more information here.