An oversized image of Roberto Clemente’s face has appeared in the form of a wheatpaste on Niagara Street, near the corner of Hudson. The image was applied by artist Max Collins, and adds some artistic life to a section of Niagara Street that could use some imaginative works of this nature. “Our intention was to bring some much needed public art to a district that has changed dramatically over the last few years, and now appears to be a river of construction that flows from Niagara Square which is [slowly] undergoing streetscape improvements to Virginia St. as part of a phased corridor project,” says Alex Burgos, whose father owns the building. ” [The development extends] to Jake Schneider’s rehab project and D’Youville’s new science school, to the upper west side where businesses like Resurgence have proved to be a nice alternative to Elmwood!”
I took a closer look at the wheatpaste mural earlier this morning, and liked the way that Roberto Clemente’s face kinda peeks out from around the side of the building. In recent years, while works of art have been scattered throughout the city, Niagara Street has missed the boat on this trend. “My father owns the business where the mural is going up and has been there for 25 years,” adds Alex. “We hope to inspire the neighborhood by showing that art is key to beautifying all areas of town. It will also add to the identity of Avenida San Juan, the City’s landing ground for Puerto Ricans since a big wave of immigration in the 1980’s. Roberto is a hero on the island. He was an outstanding ball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and overcame the adversity of being a dark skinned athlete during the years of civil unrest. His willingness to sacrifice was also solidified in that he died in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to Nicaragua, on New Years eve 1972.”