On June 16, the character, culture and history of Gary, Indiana, was revealed in a mural created by East Chicago artist, Felix Maldonado during the unveiling ceremony at the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center. Mayor Freeman-Wilson, U.S. Congressman Pete Visclosky, and community leaders, as well as Gary residents were present for the unveiling on the 2nd floor of the library.
Already well known for his murals of the Jackson 5 in both Gary’s Miller section and on Broadway, Maldonado incorporated similar larger than life portraits into this new mural. Prior to unveiling Maldonado’s mural in the library, his collection called, “Graffiti aHead-Portraits of the Midwest Graffiti/Street Artist” was on exhibit in the Main Art Gallery until the end of June 2018.
The public is invited to stop in and view the mural in progress. The library is open Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
A native of East Chicago, Indiana, Felix is a self-taught artist with more than 25 years experience in painting, drawing and graffiti art. In 1995, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He has worked at several ad agencies in Chicago directing and producing commercials for companies like Culligan Water, Peoples Energy, Roto-Rooter, Head Tennis and ATA Airlines.
