On May 30, a 48-foot stretch of panels was set up on a row of easels for Kevin McQueen Lonergan II and Gary White to paint a graffiti-style aerosol-art mural on the Figge Art Museum's plaza. Interrupted daily by rain and wind over the course of the following week, the images and lettering of the mural were developed, painted out, rethought, and painted again in a roller coaster of creativity.
According to Lynn Gingras-Taylor, creative-arts coordinator for the Figge, "Kevin and Gary are recognized internationally as premier artists in their genre. They have been making aerosol art for more than 30 years."
She added: "The mural they have painted at the Figge is a wonderful, colorful mix of a painterly mural style and cutting-edge graffiti fonts. ... [W]e will exhibit it at the museum and will also display it at various Figge family events."
The artists continue to participate in street-art events across the nation; the next is Paint Louis on June 21 in St. Louis.
Bruce Walters is a professor of art at Western Illinois University. He can be reached at BD-Walters@wiu.edu.
