Mural in downtown Gary progressing

Felix Maldonado wields a spray paint can with the precision of a fine paint brush.

Leaning off the hydraulic lift to which he is harnessed, he sprays black, white and silver to capture the details of the Jackson 5 for a downtown mural commissioned by the city of Gary.

Maldonado, who goes by the street name of “Flex”, and his friend and assistant Omar “OMS” Marin, have been working to capture the spirit of the city via the four-story mural on the north side of a vacant building at 561 Broadway Avenue.

“We wanted something that would represent the city in a positive light,” Maldonado said of the design. He expected the work would take about two weeks to complete, weather permitting.

Susi Galante with Work Driven Strategies stopped by on her lunch break to watch Maldonado and Marin. She was familiar with his work through his participation in Lake Effekt, a graffiti art event in the Miller section of the city.

“Flex’s original graffiti art in Miller was my favorite (at the event),” Galante said.

She liked the nostalgia of the design using the Jacksons.

“The scale of it is so awesome. I’m just in awe how he can do this,” she said.

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson also is excited about the public art project. She was introduced to Maldonado’s work when he entered the contest to design the Art House Café. He was one of three finalists and the only entrant from Northwest Indiana. While he did not win that job, his work piqued the city’s interest.

“I thought it was significant a Northwest Indiana artist wanted to contribute to the public image of Gary,” Freeman-Wilson said.

Maldonado said he presented the city with three different design ideas for the mural and the concept was put up for a vote on the city’s website. The Jackson 5 concept came out on top, edging out Steel Hands, honoring the hardworking people of the city and its industrial history, and Children Rediscovering the Magic City.

He is hopeful the city will commission murals on other vacant spaces and Freeman-Wilson would, too. She said while she was a fan of Steel Hands, she was secretly pulling for the design depicting the city’s most famous sons, the Jacksons, to win the vote.

Watching a local artist on display in such a public way in the city is a good thing for youths, who can see firsthand it is possible to live your dream, such as becoming an artist, she said.

“We have so many talented youths in the city,” she said.

Robert “Big Bobby B” Allcorn of Gary said he liked how the mural was shaping up after the first few days of work and suggested lighting it to be seen at night.

“We need a mural on every one of our vacant buildings,” Allcorn said.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.