Скачать или смотреть The Making of the Black Lives Matter Mural, Kemble Park in Utica, NY

Capturing the process of the creation of the Black Lives Matter mural, completed in five weeks from June-July, 2020 at Kemble Park in Utica, NY. The mural is located on the corner of Oneida and James Streets.

The mural design:
• Shows support of the Black Lives Matter movement
• Brings art and vibrance to Cornhill/Kemble Park
• Provided an opportunity to showcase local Black artists
• Is representative of a community quilt – quilting being an important piece of black history that captures history and symbolism
and shows how many individual pieces can make a strong statement together
• Invited the community to have a permanent stake in the mural and to paint/draw something meaningful to them or their neighborhood on it
• Serves as a destination for those in the neighborhood and beyond to visit, take photos, share, hashtag, etc.

Part of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement’s mission is “… creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy.” What better place to celebrate creativity, empowerment and culture than in Kemble Park right at the beginning of James Street, the gateway to the Cornhill neighborhood.

THANK YOU to our sponsors and supporters:
HomeOwnership Center
The Law Office of Oneka Roach-Campbell
Councilman Delvin Moody
The City of Utica

Meet the Artists:

Marques Phillips, Artist
Marques was born, raised and currently lives just a few blocks from Kemble Park, where the mural sits. Marques attended Kemble School and after it was demolished, his late father Councilman Bill Phillips was instrumental in turning the site into the park it is today. Marques has always been an artist – he designed the logo for the Utica City School District, has a background in oil painting and has contributed to several murals throughout Utica. He is currently the Director of City Initiatives and the Codes Commissioner in the City of Utica.

Dave Mentus, Artist @dropdeaddave_
Dave is a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College with a degree in Graphic Design and Fine Art. His design and illustration work has been seen throughout Utica on downtown banners, in shows at Inkorporated, a mural at Handshake.City and much more. His hobbies include finding and refurbishing old furniture, freelance graphic design, painting and drawing, along with exploring nature with his daughter London.

Joshuwa McKinsey, Artist @joshuwadoesart
Joshuwa is 19 years old and a graduate of Proctor High School and a current student at Mohawk Valley Community College studying animation and illustration. The people around Joshuwa and the people that he’s met throughout his life have told him that he is a natural born artist. Since he was in preschool, he would always draw when they said they could have free time. As he got older, he learned to strive to improve his artistic abilities.

Deondre Linder, Artist @deoartanddesign
Deondre is a 19-year old Utica native and 2019 graduate of Notre Dame Jr./S. High School. He is currently a sophomore at Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia where he is studying graphic and interactive design with entrepreneur studies. He is a 2018 graduate of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy where he started his business, Deo Art & Design and launched his signature product – a custom Utica skyline.

AJ Dyer, Project Management @aj.dyer7300
AJ Dyer is a 20-year old Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School graduate. He will be going into his junior year at St. Francis College where he studies Law. While working on broadway and living in the City AJ has become a big activist for topics that he believes in. Taking part in this project reminds him that he is responsible for shedding light on issues that people get uncomfortable to talk about because they do not take action or feel like it’s too radical. Giving him the courage of sharing topics that matter and to use his voice as a tool for awareness and to make a change.