'Breathtaking': Second mural goes up at Springfield-Sangamon County Transportation Hub

New York City artist Danielle Mastrion has created mural projects for filmmaker Spike Lee.

One of Mastrion's most well-known pieces, a 2012 aerosol mural of slain rapper Christopher Wallace, known as "Notorious B.I.G.," has been used for projects by Wallace's widow, Grammy-winning singer Faith Evans.

But not until she came to the Midwest for the first time last year to work on a companion mural to "Local Heroes," which will be part of the new $86 million Springfield-Sangamon County Transportation Hub along the 10th Street corridor in Springfield, did she appreciate an essential aspect for an artist.

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Space.

"There's a lot more space to do things and I think that's my biggest takeaway from doing work out here," said Mastrion, in the shadow of the 61-foot by 47-foot mural. "This mural is massive. I don't even know if we'd be able to do (anything) like this in New York.

"Even the space (the Springfield Art Association has), I don't think there's anything like the SAA in New York. There's so much space to create and to play. That's let you breathe. You don't realize as an artist that you need space."

The Springfield mural featuring Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama and other Springfield luminaries is the largest mural Mastrion has worked on, and it might be the most in-depth in terms of content.

Mastrion arrived in Springfield, along with her assistant, New York City artist Kristy McCarthy, last week to begin installation of the mural, which she expected to complete by early October.

Over the weekend, several students from the city's three public high schools and several county schools participated in a workshop with Mastrion that included painting the mural.

Another large mural, "Corridor in History & Development," designed by Philadelphia-based muralist Jared Bader, is located along the walls of the SMTD Transfer Center at the Hub and can be seen along 11th Street. It was unveiled in June.

Mastrion, 40, said she asked the advisory committee for a list of local heroes, people who had a lasting impact and had done something positive for the Springfield community. She then researched the lengthy list of names, striving for "equal representation of ethnicities, of different races, of male, of female.

"I wanted everyone who looks at the wall to be able to relate to it in some type of way," Mastrion said. "I also chose things that spoke to me -- health care, education, the NAACP -- all of these issues I feel are very pertinent today."

That's why, she said, figures like Eva Carroll Monroe, the founder and operator of the Lincoln Colored Home; Ida B. Wells, a Black civil rights advocate, journalist and feminist; Dr. Edwin Lee, a longtime advocate physician who advocated for establishing the SouthernIllinois University School of Medicine in Springfield and philanthropist Susan Lawrence Dana flank two presidents on the mural.

Mastrion said she usually free hands her murals, but with the sheer scale and time frame, she and McCarthy projected the layout and the likenesses in sections onto the canvas.

Students helped paint the lower reaches of the mural, including the state capitol, Lincoln's Home, the Route 66 logo, and plants native to Illinois.

Charlie Dickenson, a sophomore at Tri-City High School in Buffalo, worked with Mastrion's group last year. He called the experience of using new media like spray paint and latex "enlightening."

"Danielle is an amazing artist and I'm so grateful to be a part of this community and have such amazing experiences at such a young age," Dickenson said.

Landon Hagerman, a senior at New Berlin High School, said working on some of the mural's flora was right up his alley. He is considering a career in environmental engineering.

"I've always been inclined to appreciate everything environmental," Hagerman said. "If this can get attention to native plants and species, then I'd love that."

Local artist Michelle "Micki" Smith, an advisory committee member, said she knew the mural looked vibrant on paper.

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In person "it is a stunning mural, breathtaking, actually," Smith said. "I don't think anyone who's come out to see it has not wanted to be involved. It just kind of swallows you up and you want to play your part in this."

Smith acknowledged hearing and seeing some of the criticism, especially over the summer, about the projects going to two out-of-state artists.

Smith said she wanted a local artist to do the job, but the experience of Bader and Mastrion "doing something on this large of a scale" stood out.

"There's always going to be a little bit of clap back, I think," Smith said, "but I feel really good about the process and how (the advisory committee) handled it."

Troy Freeman and Jen Santarelli were the two local artists to apply.

Freeman, who has done the Farmers Market and Frank Lloyd Wright murals in downtown Springfield among other larger murals around the area and the country, said he found the committee's response "a bit disingenuous."

"I think (the committee was) more than likely set on wanting to bring in an artist from outside the area, which is fine, but should have just said that," said Freeman in a text.

Santarelli said if seeking submissions from local artists was a priority of the committee, then it should have done more advertising in spaces where artists congregate physically and virtually.

"I didn’t see it advertised in any local galleries, pop-up art shows, Facebook groups, etc.," Santarelli said via email. "Local artists would love to be a part of making the city better but we can’t be a part of that team effort if we don’t know about the opportunities in the first place.”

Mastrion said it took years and years of trial and error, "watching and learning from other muralists," including Meres One, who operated the seminal graffiti and mural institute Five Pointz in New York City, to do large scale work.

Mastrion said she likes to bring students into her projects whenever she can.

"I'm really hoping this inspires the next generation of mural painters and I do know that a lot of the students from last year have gone on and done a lot of murals in the area over the last year, so I hope that continues," she said.

As for the mural, Mastrion said it can serve as an educational piece, much like it taught her about the history of the city and the county.

"I hope once everyone looks at the mural that they can take a piece of it away and have a personal connection," Mastrion said. "I hope everyone gets a sense of home."

The Springfield Art Association, 700 N. Fourth St., and Mastrion also are hosting a “Coffee with the Artist” at 1 p.m. Thursday for area artists and community members to learn more about installing large public murals and share other ideas.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Artists install the second mural at transportation hub in Springfield