Italian street artist Michela Muserra organizes Bedstuy Walls Mural Festival in Brooklyn

Italian artist Michela Muserra (born 1975, Foggia) has lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn since 2008. In 2022 she launched the Bedstuy Walls Mural Festival, a community-oriented street art event. The second edition took place on September 30, 2023, featuring artists Jappy Agoncillo, Jaek El Diablo, Jeff Henriquez, Shiro, and Toofly, who painted 90 meters of wall. The festival includes free activities like roller skating, double dutch, breakdance, and the Blue Bus Project by Annalisa Iadicicco. Muserra's partner Frankie Velez, a street art curator, helped select artists. Muserra expressed concerns about gentrification, noting that beautification can raise property values and displace longtime residents. She aims to establish a nonprofit, collaborate with schools, and offer free art classes. The festival is funded by community volunteers and local businesses.