Roots | Raíces (Salem, MA)

Date Of Visit: September 28, 2025

Location: Peabody St, Salem, MA

Cost: Free

Parking: There is both metered parking and parking garages and lots in the area.

Summary: 17 new works of art adorn the walls on Peabody St in the “punto” area of Salem, MA

Salem, MA, is a diverse community . And the “El Punto” (“The Point”) neighborhood is proof of this diversity. Comprised largely of Latinx and other new immigrants, El Punto is the sight of many art projects by the Punto Urban Art Museum (PUAM), a program of North Shore Community Development Coalition.

The Roots/Raices mural art project is meant to reflect on the layered histories of place and people. The aim of the project is to honor both the original inhabitants and the newer generations who have made Salem home.

The project, which is presented in partnership with Salem 400+, Salem Maritime National Historic Site, and the Peabody Essex Museum, unites arts, history, and community to honor Salem’s past while envisioning its future. Selected artists received a $1,000 stipend to create 8-by-8-foot mural works that will become part of PUAM’s semi-permanent outdoor collection. Artists were asked to share their stories and to seek out and bring together their different experiences and beliefs.

These murals are usually painted every year or few years. In fact, I photographed the last group of murals there which were part of a project called A Dream Called Home. The works of art do not have titles. But, most of the artists left their Instagram or other contact info in the artwork.

From the Old Salem Depot, the old Salem train that used to run through the center of the city, to the famous lighthouse (Fort Pickering Light) and the trolley which takes its passengers past all of the historical sites in Salem, some of the works of art pay tribute to parts of Salem and its history.