Eight muralists transformed Williamsburg’s Bedford Slip into an outdoor art gallery during the Williamsburg Mural Festival on July 25 and 26. The festival – now in its second year – attracted local artists, community leaders, elected officials and neighborhood residents. Gonzalez’s remarks emphasized the social role that public art can play. “Events like the Williamsburg Mural Festival ensure that the artists and art lovers in our community have space to connect and be inspired. By bringing artists and residents into the same space, the Williamsburg Mural Festival presented public art as both a creative expression and a neighborhood activity.