York City Murals Bring Culture, Community and Creativity in View

Murals have been a form of creative expression for thousands of years. Today, local artists are infusing culture, community, and their personal experiences and perspective into custom mural artwork on display throughout downtown York, PA.

In the Royal Square district of downtown York, PA there are thirty colorful, larger-than-life murals on display, all in a one-block radius, so it’s an easy walk. We recommend you start at the Royal Square Courtyard and walk through to S. Howard Street, round the corner on Newton Ave., then wrap back around up Duke Street to E. King St. There are other murals throughout the city to discover and explore, including in the Salem Square neighborhood near Penn Market.

This is a fun, free, family-friendly excursion you can do on your own schedule. It’s a short walk, but all murals are accessible and viewable by car, as well. You can find a map of the most prominent murals at https://www.royalsquaredistrict.com/murals Scan the QR code for an augmented reality view of a few murals as a preview.

Several artists of color infuse the rich narrative and tapestry of the downtown York, PA murals. Here are a few of our favorites:

The Sight of the Stars Make Me Dream - Artist: @artzbeat @jacinthamurals; Located at the corner of W. Princess and S. Penn Streets in the Salem Square neighborhood.

Transitions - Artists: @mz.icar Mz.Icar, an anonymous art collective predominantly comprised of Black Women, stands at the intersection of artistic innovation and societal transformation. The collective name, “racIzM,” spelled backward, serves as a guiding principle, symbolizing their mission to upend conventional constructs of gender and race. The artists realized York City and the Royal Square District is an area in transition. They wanted to channel that into this piece titled Transitions. Located in the Royal Square Courtyards.

The Shibuya Soul Steppers - Artist: @blakeshowers @blakeobk; Located in the Royal Square Courtyard

Rebirth - Artist: @skilzarts @skilztat2 Jonathan “Skilz” Molina, an artist born and raised in York, PA. For this mural, Skilz found inspiration in reflecting on both God and his mother, Yolanda Alicea. Located in the Royal Square Courtyard.