three women of Lynn

Posted on February 9, 2025 by Mary C

This post highlights three murals in Lynn Massachusetts that feature a portrait of a woman. They certainly aren’t the only women portrayed in Lynn, they just happen to be located close to each other.

below: Layers of women. Two portraits on different buildings but from the same viewpoint. In front, “The Protector” by David Zays; In back, a mural by Marka27.

below: From a better angle, the woman in blue with a yellow flower in her hand in the mural by Marka27, aka Victor Quinonez.

below: Yellow petals flying away, blowing in the breeze.

below: “The Protector”, a mural by David Zayas. Like many of his murals, there is a lot of symbolism. The aloe plant is known for its healing properties and hence is a symbol of protection. The rooster on her shoulder represents the resilience and fighting spirit that we need when life get tough.

below: Looking closer at the intricate detail in the rose pattern in her blouse and the detail in the rooster’s colourful feathers.

below: The orange colour in the bird has faded a bit so it’s more difficult to tell that it is a robin.

below: “Grandma Eve” by Helen Bur is on the same building as the Davd Zayas mural, but on the other side. Bur’s grandmother is shown holding a playbill designed by her husband during WW2 when he was a prisoner of war in the Pacific. The prisoners put on a play, ‘Murder at Sea’, and the artist’s grandfather designed the playbill for the show.

Photos taken July 2024

Lowell’s murals

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Mary C

Like many cities in Massachusetts, the organization Beyond Walls has been responsible for bringing great artists into the city to paint interesting murals that liven up public spaces and bring some colour to different neighbourhoods.

below: A David Zayas mural, “Otro Rumbo” covers the side of a building at Athenian Corner on Market Street. It contains many traditional Puerto Rican symbols and objects, including a rooster that symbolizes strength. For this mural, Project LEARN (Lowell Educational Alliance Resource Network) was also involved.

large mural by David Zayas, girl in skirt and bare feet walks over a row of chairs, from seat to seat

below: Evaristo Angurria (or Nestor Garcia painted this mural at the site of Mechanics Hall. I am not sure why, but he seems to like painting women with curlers in their hair.

below: Three pottery jugs representing “healing”, i.e whole – broken – fixed, a mural by Bryan Beyung that covers the side of the Elliot Church in the Back Central neighbourhood.

large mural by Bryan Beyung on the side of an old brick church, Elliot church, in Lowell Massachusetts. Shows three large pottery jugs, the first is whole, the middle is broken, and the last is repaired.

below: Celebrating the Irish heritage in the area and how they helped build Lowell. They were one of the first immigrants to arrive starting in the 1830s. They found labor working at the many mills in and around Lowell.

Large mural in Lowell, on the side of old factory building, historic iage of old factory with people going to work, also two large churches in the mural, Irish heritage of the area,

below: “Rayo Feliz” by Golden 305 at the Middlesex Community College’s Facilities building. (More of his work in Holyoke).

below: Also on the Lowell campus of Middlesex Community College, this time at the Cowan Center, is another mural called “Dream, Hunt, Make.” It was was painted by FONKi, a Cambodian street artist born in France but now living in Montreal.

A quote by FONKi (source: his Instagram page)

“DREAM, HUNT, MAKE
Within the eyes of the Dreamer, lies the keys of the future,
Sweetness and bitterness you will taste,
Focus in the Present, you must,
Educate yourself, you will.
.
Obsessively, his dream, the Hunter chases,
Darkness and light you will meet,
Wise with knowledge, you must be,
Continue flying, you will.
.
Under The Maker’s hands, life takes color.
Creation is complex,
An Art it is, to make it simple,
To build, pure must be your intentions.
.
A Sweet Dreamer, Wise Hunter & Pure Maker you shall become.”

Photos taken August 2024

Ybor City murals

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Mary C

Ybor City is an historic neighbourhood close to downtown Tampa Florida. It was founded in the 1880s and was home to a large immigrant population, many of whom were employed in cigar making factories. The cigar industry, and the city, flourished from the 1890s to the Great Depression of the 1930s when demand for cigars dropped.

below: Viva Ybor! Painted by Chico Garcia in 2012. It features a portrait of Vincente Martinez Ybor who brought the cigar making industry to this part of Florida.

Viva Ybor mural with Cuban flags, a rooster, I love Ybor, a portrait of Vincente Ybor for whom the city is named after

below: Faded paintings of Ybor City scenes

Faded mural, paintings in panels, cars, buildings,

below: The 1920s – with old cars

faded painting of 1920s street scene with old cars on the street

below: Historic buildings

faded paintings of 2 historic buildings in Ybor City

below: The far righthand side of the mural

below: Rolling cigars

women sitting around a table rolling cigars, in history mural in Ybor City Florida

Photos taken in April 2022

Annie and her cow

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Mary C

… and rooster … and tractor.. paintings in Napanee Ontario.

L & A Mutual insurance building in Napanee, once the County Depot with silos for storage. silos have been painted with farm scene

Once used for storage, these silos were painted by Shane Goudreau as part of the redevelopment of the site – from County Depot to insurance company. An excellent way to preserve some of the history of the area.