Mural Arts unveils design for new Philadelphia Stars mural at Negro League Baseball Memorial Park
David McShane is the artist behind the mural, which will be across the street from the site of a previous Stars mural that had to be taken down because of structural damage.
Mural Arts unveiled the design for a new Philadelphia Stars mural on Wednesday, the 79th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
The new mural at the Negro League Baseball Memorial Park in West Philly will replace a previous Stars mural that was located across the street but was taken down earlier this year because of structural damage.
“There used to be a mural across the street, and sometimes endings give rise to new beginnings, and the ending of that mural is going to give rise to a whole new beginning here,” project muralist David McShane said.
» READ MORE: David McShane grew up in the 700 level. Now he paints murals of Philadelphia’s sports icons.
McShane also worked on the original mural at 4304 Parkside Ave. and is behind some of the city’s most iconic sports murals.
The design for the new mural features Stars legends like Gene Benson, Stuart “Slim” Jones, James “Biz” Mackey, and others. The mural also includes names of former players who are not included in the illustration. Stars owner and founder Ed Bolden also is featured, as are nods to other teams and stadiums that made up the Negro Leagues.
“The new design gives us a chance to tell even more of the story and feature even more players from the history of the Philadelphia Stars,” McShane said. “We’re excited to expand on that and educate people even further and bring more information about what happened here and what took place right here.”
The mural site, at the corner of Belmont and Parkside Ave., is where the Stars used to play.
» READ MORE: Death threats, a boycott warning and an awkward photo op: Remembering Jackie Robinson’s 1947 Philly debut
The city’s annual Jackie Robinson Day event featured appearances from former Phillies Mickey Morandini, Dickie Noles, and Milt Thompson, along with the Phillie Phanatic. Students from Discovery Charter School and KIPP Philadelphia also attended the event.
The students will have opportunities to participate in workshops and painting events throughout the construction of the mural — and some may even find themselves included in the finished product.
The mural, which will be painted on a to-be-constructed 12-foot wall, also will feature a fence line showcasing members of the community. The fence line will be created by Miguel Horn, an artist from the Parkside neighborhood.
“The work that I’m going to be doing is honoring the community that supported the Philadelphia Stars, not just the players that are remembered here, but the community that is surrounding them,” Horn said. “On either side of that wall is going to be images of the Parkside community, [Discovery Charter School], KIPP, our neighbors.”
Construction of the mural will begin Thursday.