If it seems that the mural on the side of Football Pizza (aka Crescent Moon, amazing pizza!) appeared instantaneously, it actually did. A combination of painting and mosaic on a thin but strong sign-board substrate called maxmetal (TM), artist Victor Yepez prepared two 5×10-foot halves in his studio at Solar Arts Building. “I had to move a lot of stuff to make room,” he said, putting on some finishing touches on-site.
The relief pattern in the brick of the 1906-built building at 2337 Central Ave. NE would have made it challenging to paint directly on the building. It wouldn’t be the first time that decoration was attached; an outline of an apparently Art Deco-inspired curved feature remains.
“The idea was they have beautiful mosaic lamps in the business, and this is bringing that light outside,” Yepez said. “The owners are from Afghanistan, where pigeons are popular.” (The mosaic pigeons are a nod to the kaftar bazi – “play of pigeons” where Afghanis train flocks to follow directions communicated by swooping a stick with a piece of fabric on the end.) “There are flowers…and there are a lot of mountains in the country. Combining light and water is ceremonial, it is like a Zen moment,” he added.
Yepez is from Ecuador, where he earned his degree in sculpture and print making from the School of Fine Arts, Central University in Quito over 15 years ago. He is one of the teaching artists/muralists available through COMPAS. Yepez recently finished a mural commission for a huge festival in Austin, MN, and helped paint the mural here on the back of the Solar Arts building.
Noting that many people from Ecuador have come to live in Northeast, particularly in the few blocks either side of Central, he smiled and pointed to the 24th Avenue NE street sign to the west of his work. “NE – Nuevo Ecuador, some are calling it.”
Yepez’ work is just one of several murals by a variety of artists who are part of the Mural Central project, which is funded by a grant from the City of Minneapolis’ Great Streets Business District program, with supplemental financial support from local businesses. The project is administered and supported by the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber, Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and Public Functionary. Photos that show what’s new since our last update, which is here:
There is one additional mural pairing looking for a home.
Thanks to all of these artists and the sponsors/coordinators for this tremendous effort to make the Central Avenue Cultural District and this #1 Arts District look more like an arts district.