Murals have been around for as long as humanity. The first ones were found in caves during pre-historic times. They allow individuals and communities to express their beliefs and leave behind evidence of their existence. Mural painting is distinctive in that it’s directly connected to architecture – applied to a permanent surface like a wall or a ceiling.

In Washington, D.C. Americas Now had the chance to go to an art exhibit featuring one of the longest murals in the world. It took 400 brushes and 900 pounds of paint to make. Our Urban Voice is Uruguayan artist – Carlos Paez Vilaro.

One of the towers at the artist’s home in Uruguay is dedicated to his oldest son. Named Carlos Miguel, he was lost in the Andes Mountains in 1972 in a plane that crashed with a rugby team. They were lost for more than 70 days. Fortunately his son was one of the 16 passengers out of 45 who survived.