BOSTON — In a canyon walled by drab grey and brown high-rises, a ragged line of men, women and children hold red helium balloons, ascending a staircase that ends in a spiral at an opening in the roof, where a single giant balloon slips into the blue sky. Two people at the top lift their heads in wonder. Seen by thousands of eyes a day at one of Boston’s busiest intersections, the giant outdoor mural by Iranian artist Mehdi Ghadyanloo, Stairway to Heaven, is a stunning expression of optimism he hopes can lead to better understanding between his homeland and the United States.
The 76-by-70-foot mural, painted on the side of a building across the street from South Station, appears almost three-dimensional, as if the admirer can join the line and find out what great secret awaits above.
