A bit of good trouble coming soon

These guys are on the way to start this John Lewis mural in Rochester and have raised about 75% of their goal. 100% would ensure all their costs are covered. Consider chipping in. http://gofundme.com/f/john-lewis-mural

Primed for some good trouble

Some scenes from wall prep this morning and early afternoon

A little night time work.

That’s Sarah Rutherford up there with Rochester native Ephraim Gebre. This isn’t her project, she’s just assisting the team with the prep work and mural.

If you look just above their heads, you can start to see the outline of the late Congressman John Lewis

The mural on State Street is based on a photograph by Danny Lyon of John Lewis in 1963. The outline of Lewis happened in the overnight hours.

The work continues.

Ephraim Gebre talking with media this afternoon about the John Lewis mural he’s working on with a group of artists on State Street.

Ephraim, a Rochester native, credits a lot of his beginning as an artist to @shawndunwoody. Shawn stopped by to check in and offer his support in the days ahead.

Ephraim talking about the first time he met @shawndunwoody as a 10th grader when he saw the man in a colorful suit talking to seniors. With a lot of persistence, he would go on to work on a few projects with Shawn, building his confidence as an artist.

The wall received a bit of media attention throughout the day — @WillCleveland13 from @DandC, @jamesbrowntv from @WXXINews, and @SPECNewsROC all stopped by.

Also, some progress throughout the day as reinforcements arrived. That’s Dan and JD, continuing to prep the wall. If you ride by it looks like a giant coloring number page but it’s actually a technique the crew learned at their day job painting billboards.

The process is fascinating to watch.

I’m not even going to try to explain the process but it’s an old school process and cool as hell to watch. This is how the mural took shape. @shawndunwoody got in on some of the action when he stopped down today.

Location matters, and there’s significance with my this spot for the John Lewis mural was sought after.

One immediate connection to the mural on State Street, named “I Am Speaking,” is that the wall is steps from where Corinthian Hall stood and where in 1852 Frederick Douglass delivered one of his most famous speeches, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

In 1895, the funeral for Douglass was held a few blocks away. Both spots have statues of Douglass by Olivia Kim that Ephraim said he assisted on along with other volunteers a few years ago.

The mural is also around the corner from City Hall, the site of several protests this year, including Occupy City Hall. In September, State Street was one of the places Rochester police clashed with protestors who were protesting the death of Daniel Prude.

It’s going to be powerful having this mural of Danny Lyon’s image of Lewis in 1963 in Rochester. I’m sure there’s even more connections to this space. Jason Barber and muralist Sarah Rutherford were instrumental in securing this location, working closely with the building owners.

I don’t like heights and being in a lift can be a bit rocky, but jumped onboard to capture a little of the action.

Me afraid of heights vs Dan the old pro chilling on the makeshift bench

Can’t beat the view up there, and perspective.

Back on the ground, and just look at that progress.

They worked in two man crews throughout the day — JD and Darius on one lift, Dan and Ephraim on the other.

The detail process is crazy to watch as they work on the background.

Both lifts are equipped with multiple reference images of Lewis that the teams use as their blueprint for their work.

3 out of the 4 artists aren’t from Rochester. They’re all friends who are hitting each other’s hometown to complete these murals sparked by the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Roc has been welcoming, bringing food / drink. Yesterday featured the intro to @uglyduckcoffee

Fuego is on deck today!

Progress check with the crew. That’s Jared, Ephraim, Darius and Dan.

Also, this project is now fully funded. Great work Rochester!

After a small rain delay, they’re back at it. Look at that beautiful blue sky.

Progress.

And that’s a wrap for the night.

Back at it.

Progress.

I try to avoid being in the frame, but my good friend Molly stopped by to see the progress and caught me in action

Another day in the books.

Just about halfway through, it’s been a pleasure to ride along with these guys and documenting the process. They’re amazingly talented and a cool group. Truly an honor. And thank you folks for following along.

Awed by their process.

A few members of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity stopped by yesterday to see the mural of their brother John Lewis in action, and brought lunch for the crew.

Visitors stop by all day since these guys started work on State Street, bringing food, drink and good vibes. Yesterday, some of Ephraim’s family stopped by to see the Rochester native in action.

Hello Mr. Lewis.

“We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” - John Lewis

Shoutout to the squad behind the work — Ephraim, Darius, Dan and Jared.

Good Rainbow

Good Progress on some Good Trouble. The heavier rain held out just long enough.

Welcome to Rochester, Mr. Lewis.