As part of its renovation of the historic Chick Webb Recreation Center, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks commissioned Mural Masters to create a set of murals celebrating the center’s famous namesake, legendary jazz drummer and East Baltimore native Chick Webb. Mural Masters founder Shawn James and artist Brian O’Rourke designed and painted a memorable, jazz and history inspired wall mural. James then hired Graham Projects to collaborate on realizing a complimentary work of vibrant, music-themed pavement art that leads residents across the pedestrian promenade towards the center’s new entrance.
Graham Projects founder and public artist Graham Coreil-Allen worked closely with Shawn James on designing an iconic medallion that evokes a bass drum and directional compass while displaying the beloved recreation center’s name. Surrounding the blue, yellow, purple, and teal bass drum turned directional insignia are two colorful tom drums and several yellow and purple musical notes leading to music-staff-like walkway that swings towards the recreation center entrance and adjacent music themed playground. To make the pavement artwork as durable as possible, Graham Projects used custom colored, preformed thermoplastic applied with our infrared heater and heat torches.
More about the wall art from Mural Masters: The design features Chick Webb seated behind a top-down view of his drum set. Within the drums are portraits of Dr. Ralph Jonathon Young and Ella Fitzgerald. Dr. Young was instrumental in uniting Baltimore’s Black community to raise funds for the first Chick Webb Recreation Center—the first recreation center of its kind to be fully funded and supported by the Black community and was the driving force behind fulfilling the musician’s dying wish to help the youth of Baltimore. Ella Fitzgerald, one of the greatest singers of all time, got her big break performing with Chick Webb and his band.
Project partners: Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, Mural Masters
Lead Artists: Shawn James & Graham Coreil-Allen
Installation Team: Graham Coreil-Allen, Shawn James, Mar Braxton, Liam Arbeiter
