Location: Exterior of Washington Park Pool House, 275 Orange Ave NW
Local artists Katrina Legans and Brandon Underwood created a colorful mural on the pool house at Washington Park. The mural designs were inspired by David Ramey’s work as well as the previous parks that were in the community prior. The person doing the high dive off the diving board on the back end of the mural came from a photo of Dreamland Recreation Center which was a community-oriented park that was once located where the YMCA Gainsboro now stands. The rainbow that is depicted represents the joy of families enjoying the pool, as Underwood was inspired by the happiness that people felt at the Washington Park pool. The artists reached out to the community and went to the Gainsboro library to get ideas of what they would like to see from the mural. The mural is not only a celebration of happiness, unity, and community, but it also recognizes the overlooked past of Washington Park. Both Katrina and Brandon have gained insights into making this mural. Katrina stated, “I feel like I gained perspectives from that experience, that place was rooted in several different things. I feel like there was some trauma and there were some happy times for other people. A lot of people enjoyed having a pool in their community and then having one now. The mural honors the love and culture of the community.” This being his first ever mural, Brandon added, “the beauty of what we’re doing now makes it that more meaningful knowing that we worked through that time. It was very eye-opening experience to do the research and that was something I had to work through creatively.”
About the artist:
Katrina Legans is a local artist from Roanoke, VA. She is known for her portraits and clothing which she loves to make for friends. Legans has also done a few indoor murals around the area. Visit her Instagram at kthecreativ
Brandon Underwood is from Long Island, New York. He moved to Roanoke several years ago and has a background in graphic design. He hopes to continue to grow as a muralist and fine artist. Learn more about Brandon on his instagram at @royfavor
Sourced from:
Roanoke Arts Commission: "Washington Park Pool Mural"
"Behind the Mural with Katrina Legans and Brandon Underwood"
