13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
New Jackson 5 mural in Miller kicks off public art expansion
Gary officials hope the unveiling of a new Jackson 5 mural in Gary's Miller neighborhood on Friday will serve as a catalyst for more public art to pop up across the city.
The new mural, located on the north side of the Vogue Cleaners building at 610 S. Lake St., replaces one elsewhere on Lake Street that was removed in 2018 due to deterioration. East Chicago artist Felix 'Flex' Maldonado painted the mural. His artwork can be seen around Gary — 'We Are Gary' at the city's main library, performing arts students at West Side Leadership Academy, and he painted St. Mary of the Lake's 'The Ascension,' based on a design by Filipino artist Edgardo De Guzman — as well as Hammond, East Chicago, Crown Point and in the southeast suburbs in Illinois. In 2016, Maldonado painted a large Jackson 5 mural on a former bank building at 5th and Broadway, but it was torn down in 2020 as part of a blight elimination effort.
'The Jackson family's music helped define a generation — and it all started right here in Gary,' said Maldonado in a Gary press release. 'I wanted this new mural to feel alive, so that people can connect with the joy and pride this city feels for them. It's not just art — it's a celebration of legacy.'
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton marked the occasion by announcing more public art projects over the next two years, including working with artist Ish Muhammad on three new murals that will be located around the downtown Broadway corridor. The murals will feature Gary musical icons Deniece Williams, the Jackson Family, and Vivian Carter from Vee-Jay Records.
The city also plans to collaborate with Indiana University Northwest School of Arts students/alumni who will paint a series of murals that will tell the story and history of Gary and some of its most influential citizens at the former Sears Building on Broadway.
The effort is following in the footsteps of the Lake Effect project that was launched in 2013 and brought around 40 artists to the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District to transform 19 walls and alleys into canvases. Local residents kept pushing for the restoration of the Jackson 5 mural, so Karren and Pat Lee initiated efforts to commission a new mural and helped fund it along with Tom and Sylvia Collins.
'Gary has always been a city of heart and soul, and we owe so much to the Jackson family for the precious cultural heritage they've given us,' said Mayor Eddie Melton in a statement. 'My administration is strongly committed to creating opportunities for public art and supporting talented artists like Felix Maldonado who bring these visions to life. This new mural will support our local businesses along Lake Street while giving visitors another compelling reason to discover Gary as the premier beachfront destination in Northwest Indiana.'
