Miami street artist completes 50-state gun violence mural project

The big picture: After five years, Holbrook recently finished his final mural in Anchorage at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska.

Zoom in: Each mural is different, but all feature a hand holding up the peace sign. The Alaska mural featured nature imagery, including an eagle and a moose. Local kids helped paint.

Flashback: Holbrook did his Miami mural in 2021 in Liberty City near Charles R. Drew K-8 Center.

What they're saying: Instead of centering the artwork on images of violence, Holbrook chose the peace sign to focus attention on what "communities could move toward instead," a press release explains.

• “I’ve experienced the consequences of violence personally, but I never wanted violence to have the final image,” Holbrook said in a statement. “The message was always about peace, hope and possibility. No matter where we traveled, people understood that.”

What's next: As part of the project, Holbrook has amassed an archive of photos, video footage, interviews, community collaborations and stories from across the country.

• He and his youth-empowerment group MLK Mural Project plan to draw from that for future film, book, exhibition, educational and speaking projects.