I don’t think I’ve ever published anything about Pow!Wow! before, but I’ve definitely intended to. The annual street art festival grew out of Honolulu back in 2013 and has spread internationally– luckily to my backyard! Pow!Wow! San Jose started in 2017, the same year I moved there for college, and I have plenty of unpublished posts that dive deeper so it seems those will follow shortly!
I’ve always been drawn to street art even before the walls became trendy backdrops for Instagram pictures. I could give you a deep, thoughtful explanation about art being free and hard to contain (which is true) but I think what I love the most about it is the scavenger hunt aspect it brings to life. Turning a corner and stumbling upon a stunning piece or mapping installments out when visiting a new place is so rewarding to me!
While I follow a good amount of artists, four of my all time favorites are featured within blocks of each other in Honolulu, the exact place I found myself back in April! We blocked off some time one morning and my loving and extremely patient boyfriend drove me around the city while following the half-assed directions I provided.
Vhils (2014)
D*face (2015)
Tristan Eaton (2016)
Shepard Fairey (2019)
There murals are planned far in advance and are true pieces of artwork but still reflect so much spontaneity. Pow!Wow! supports a wide array of street artists too– local, international, known world-wide and just breaking into the scene.
The Pow!Wow! website provides a super easy map to track down pieces from over the years, so next time you’re planning out your tourist attractions I recommend adding some free art in there!
World Watching 
Certainly an interesting posting, Michelle. Thanks.