Undoubtedly many people would hesitate to put graffiti muralists and commissioned muralists in the same genre.  Granted, they are very different.  Graffiti muralists and urban artists are reputed for exposing an unwilling public to their art.  They create colorful pictures on the sly, with spray paint and the cover of night.  There is intense competition between local artists, and they repeatedly "tag" over each others' work.  Commissioned artists are paid by area residents, merchants or corporations to create a work of art that will represent its benefactors and their interests.  Most of these artists have studied art at universities and are self-employed.  These two types of artists might seem quite different, but what many people overlook is the resemblances, such as the purpose behind their murals, the temporary aspect of wall art, and where they work.

Gregg Bugala is a resident of Fenton, Michigan.  He attended Western Michigan University and received a B.S. in art.  He did mostly canvas art and watercolors while in college, and began painting large-scale works working for a billboard company around 1990, when he stopped working for my father.  Bugala is a commercial artist, painting murals for hospitals and businesses, and doing interior design work for homes, such as borders and faux finishes on walls.

While Bugala generally does not paint murals purely to make a social statement, as is the case with many urban muralists, such as in the Pilsen neighborhood, he does try to incorporate the surroundings and other relevant things into his murals.  "What I did in this one mural was I wrote down all the names of the nurses in the& Crittendon Re-Hab Center& and I wrote all their names somewhere in the mural."  He also personalized the mural near patients. rooms that would come out and talk to him while he was working.  Bugala has done a few murals to elevate community spirit. one was an antiviolence mural that he worked with children on.  He went to schools and got the children's input. "It was designed to be a movable mural that could be moved all over the city," Bugala said.  "Not for any vandalism reasons, but because they wanted it to be seen by everybody."  This is comparable to many murals we. ve studied in class, and some we saw in Pilsen, as it is meant to deliver a message of peace.  This is an important message to be sent in inner-city Flint, which was once contending with Gary, Indiana for the highest crime rate in the country.  In 2000, it was third on the list of America. s most dangerous cities.  Chicago's high crime rate obviously inspired Pilsen muralists to create much the same kind of art. promoting well-being, peace and safety.

No matter who paints murals, their vulnerability is about the same, especially when painted in susceptible locations.  Most graffiti muralists. art is destroyed by weathering, tagging, or a wall's owner, who doesn't often appreciate graffiti marring his building.  Bugala's art is not nearly so at risk for destruction, as all of his work is commissioned and/or approved.  However, he has had his share of loss.  He was commissioned to paint what he called a . community mural. in downtown Flint.  When I asked him where it was, he laughed and said, "Well, ironically, they tore it down.  The title of the mural was 'Rebuilding the Community.'  And then two years later, they tore down the building, the one it was painted on." He has pictures that he took of the mural before it was destroyed, of which I, in turn, took pictures.

Urban muralists tend to choose where they work.  They pick an open space and go at it, creating the design and message of their choice.  While Gregg Bugala does not have quite that liberty, he is always on the lookout for places that he would like to work.  When he heard of a local health club opening, he called them and offered to create some artwork for their walls.  "I look for places that I want to work, and places that I think I could offer something to, and I'll call them," said Bugala.  Thus, although he frequently gets calls from people who have seen his work, or designers whom he works with on occasion, Bugala is also able to display his art on surfaces of his choosing, provided the owners agree.  "You can take workshops on how to apply for grants to do certain things.  There's grants all over the place.  I was thinking about applying to the Michigan Council of Arts and having them fund a mural thing for inner-city kids in Michigan, and using billboards as a medium, and having the anti-violence murals on billboards on the highway," he said.

Urban muralists and commissioned artists are certainly worlds apart.  The former are generally shunned by "respectable society," while the latter is hired by "respectable society."  However, they hold some similarities.  Both have purpose behind murals, whether they are hired to paint themed murals, or simple want to spread a message around a community.  Both types of artists are keenly aware of the morality of their craft, and how easily it can be destroyed.  And both types have, at least sometimes, a choice of the surface on which they will be working.  Though both are distinct types of muralists, one would be foolish to classify them in two different categories altogether.

If you would like to view some of Gregg's work, his website can be seen at:http://www.gregg-art.com/