Big Walls, Bigger Stories: Colossal Media's Hand-Painted Walls
Murals are part of New York’s DNA — bold, fleeting, and impossible to ignore. Our Williamsburg neighbor, Colossal Media, has been keeping the craft of hand-painted walls alive for 20 years, including the ever-changing mural on The Hoxton’s northern side. We sat down with the world's largest hand-painted outdoor advertising company, to talk walldogs, Williamsburg, and what it means to go big.
Words: Kelly Peppers, Tom Hemmerick and Janine Taylor
Photography: Miles Henderson
Murals have been a part of New York’s tapestry for 100+ years, threading the city with color and packing a punch by sheer scale alone.
Wander round Brooklyn and you can’t miss Colossal Media’s work – at least not on the entire northern side of The Hoxton, Williamsburg, where throughout the year, the big beautiful mural is painted over with something new.
This is what Colossal does best – forceful yet ephemeral work merging art and advertising, all on a mammoth scale. Our longtime neighbors and close pals also happen to be the world’s largest hand-painted outdoor advertising company, working with brands, artists and nonprofits across the world.
And while their photo-realism and crisp lettering could easily be mistaken for printed posters, they’re passionate about keeping the art of hand paint alive: since starting in Brooklyn in 2004, they’ve painstakingly created more than 6,000 murals by hand.
We’re stoked that in honor of their 21st birthday, we persuaded Colossal’s legendary president, Kelly Peppers, and expert painters Tom Hemmerick and Janine Taylor, to sit down with us for a hot minute to chat Williamsburg, walldogs (we’ll explain), and why Hox is special to Colossal.
So what does it mean to be a ‘walldog’?
It originated from 20th-century sign painters; being strapped into a harness and attached to a building was reminiscent of a dog on a leash. Whether there’s rain, wind, snow, or sweltering heat, as long as it’s safe we paint year-round. It also means having a deep understanding of color theory, sign-painting techniques, safety, and how to thrive on a team: what we do can never be done alone.
Let’s talk about our neighborhood – how do murals affect their locale?
Murals have the power to positively impact moods and become community landmarks. We’re honored to do what we love every day and add a little more vibrancy to the neighborhoods we work in. We’re surrounded by Brooklyn’s creative community, and founded this business here because we felt our gamble on bringing back hand-painted advertising had a chance of surviving. Williamsburg looks a lot different these days. There are still parts that feel like the Williamsburg we started in, like where our paint shop is, packed with small businesses and large warehouses.
Colossal has had some iconic New York moments, what’s that been like?
We’ve always believed in the power of paint. Art connects people and helps us communicate. In neighborhoods like Williamsburg, SoHo and the Arts District in LA, we’re surrounded by art. People who walk by see art first and then an ad. Hand paint takes you on a journey: one day you walk by and there’s an outlined wall. A day later, you see a face or a landscape. It leaves you guessing, and all you can do is be patient. That was some of the excitement behind the live-streamed Charli XCX Brat wall. Everyone knew something was coming, but not what – they just had to stay tuned and let the paint dry.
These live experiences lead to moments like the Gucci Art Wall being a landmark on Google Maps, Snickers’ #WhatsUpwithMarcia portrait (transforming Marcia Brady into Danny Trejo), and our 11-year-old collaboration with Scholastic Arts on the Mona Lisa of Williamsburg.
Does the New York mural scene inspire others?
Yes! Landlords can monetize the exterior of their buildings while maintaining a rotating exterior of murals. Tourists and neighbors can see the making of a mural, documenting photos throughout. People working in creative fields and young aspiring artists appreciate our ability to bridge the gap between art and commerce, and constantly reach out to tour our paint shop.
Creative culture truly thrives in New York. Colossal was the first company to resurrect hand-painted outdoor advertising. What we do is unique, and the pool of qualified people is limited, so we created a paid apprenticeship program. It’s the seed that’s started the next generation of sign painters in this trade. We’re proud to say we’re creating a sustainable arts career for people in our community.
Colossal painted our original Hox mural, by Jing Wei, back when we first opened in 2018. Now your crew updates the mural all throughout the year. How is that?
Painting The Hoxton wall is a treat – it’s directly across the street from our office. That means our paint team can eat lunch, hydrate, connect with office colleagues, and retreat quickly if there are surprise rain showers. Being able to watch the team paint from the glass doors of our office is inspiring and reminds us of the power of hand paint. The Hoxton wall also has some of the best views of Williamsburg.
How does it feel to paint over a completed mural and start from scratch?
We paint over our best work every week, and there are times when it feels wrong. Most of the time, it feels ephemeral; we know what we do is meant to be experienced live. We love the joy and curiosity people have when they see the progress every day, and then walk by it when it’s complete. In a way, they’re now part of the story and life of that mural. There’s beauty in this cyclical process – being able to hone your craft and give it your all on that same canvas, over and over again.
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