2 new murals on Roosevelt Row take a stand on gun violence. Here's what they mean and where to see them

At last count, Kyle Holbrook has painted more than 800 murals, some reaching as high as 27 stories. For his latest project in Phoenix, the 22-year muralist is using a simple street art style to humanize the problem of gun violence.

Holbrook explained the peace hand sign depicted in the two murals on Roosevelt Row is meant to convey that the power to perpetuate or stop gun violence is in the hands of the people. The peace sign is the symbol of choice in the nationwide mural tour Holbrook launched last year — the simplicity in its design is the point.

The murals are “meant to be simple so people can get the message,” Holbrook said. “It’s more about the message than the aesthetics.”

Where are the new murals on Roosevelt Row?

The murals are located on Roosevelt Street near Second Street and 15th Avenue and are 8 feet by 4 feet and 5 feet by 2 feet, respectively. Done in black brush and acrylic paints on a cinder block wall and a storage container, the murals' small sizes are meant to invite passersby to snap a selfie with their phone, Holbrook said.

Holbrook painted the murals on Aug. 6, choosing the locations to maximize their impact.

“Roosevelt Row is obviously such a big spot for art and galleries, so a lot of people go there with the purpose of getting pictures of the art," Holbrook said. “Now we can utilize that to spread the message.”

What do the murals mean?

Holbrook, 44, has seen nearly 50 of his friends and family members, including two cousins, die as a result of gun violence. He was moved to start the project after an anti-gun violence activist mentor lost his 15-year-old grandson to gunfire.

Holbrook, who owns a gun for protection, said the murals are less about stopping the proliferation of firearms as they are about addressing the underlying issues leading to the human carnage associated with them.

“I don’t think we need machine guns to hunt, but I don’t think we should take all guns,” Holbrook said, pointing to the need for greater economic resources and mediation efforts. “Certainly, I think a lot is mental health and mental health awareness. And a lot of the people doing the violence were victims of gun violence or needed some mental health because hurt people hurt people.”

Who is muralist Kyle Holbrook?

Holbrook’s public arts organization, Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project, includes a team who researches the next site of a mural and a board that takes grants to fund the art pieces.

So far, Holbrook’s project has taken him to 42 cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.

The tour designates “cities that have a thriving art scene, so that we can utilize the power of public art to further spread the message,” Holbrook said, adding a city’s gun violence rates are taken into account.

According to a June 22 announcement from Phoenix on Operation Gun Crime Crackdown, homicides with firearms increased by 45% this year over the same time the year before and aggravated assaults involving firearms were up 23% over the same time last year.

Holbrook spends his time between Pittsburgh, Miami and New York City. Holbrook has ties to Arizona — his father attended Arizona State University and the artist would visit the state as a child. His best friends also live in the Valley. For Black History Month last year in Phoenix, Holbrook completed a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. sporting a face mask to promote public health during the pandemic.

Though one Miami-area mural Holbrook did honoring George Floyd was vandalized, he said this artistic tour has not experienced any negative responses.

“I’m using it to unite,” he said of the tour. “That’s the point and not to be divisive.”

Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyle Holbrook paints anti-gun violence murals on Phoenix's Roosevelt Row