BR Walls Project pushing to raise $15K in 9 days

With just nine days left in a fundraising drive to raise $25,000 and secure a project that would cover bare walls with murals in downtown Baton Rouge, the BR Walls Project remains a little under $15,000 short. “We’re literally laying it on the line and saying if Baton Rouge wants this, they have to support it. If we end up raising $23,600 by the last day, it doesn’t matter under the Kickstarter platform we’re using—all that money goes away,” says Casey Phillips, co-curator of the project along with Kathryn Thorpe. “Honestly, I’m fully confident that we are going to hit the fundraising goal, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t aware of the acute nature of the deadline.” Through press time this afternoon, the project has raised $10,425 from 131 donors. The first murals are planned to appear along Fourth Street, with others to follow on other downtown streets. The group has thus far been driving the fundraising effort primarily through its Web page and social media sites, but Phillips says organizers will soon announce plans for an online telethon to take place on the final day of the drive, Thursday, April 26. One aspect of the BR Walls Project that is going forward regardless of the fundraising effort is a partnership with Lamar Advertising Co. to place vinyl banners with local and national artwork on them throughout Baton Rouge. You can track the fundraising effort and make a donation here; and read a recent 225 feature to learn more about the project here. —Steve Sanoski