Painted with bright, contrasting colors, the mural at our Fort Wayne store, located on South Bend Drive, is a stand-out created by well-known artist Alexandra Hall. The mural features a scene of a chimpanzee casually reading a book with a cup of team. Hall created it to highlight the importance of education and conservation of extinct or endangered animals.
We recently learned more about Alexandra’s remarkable talents, and are thrilled to share more about her, her art, and this fun mural she has created for our Jiffy Lube Murals project.
Q. What first sparked your interest in the Jiffy Lube Mural Project?
A. I was excited about the opportunity to paint a mural! All of my exterior murals in Fort Wayne have been collaborations, so I jumped at the chance to do a project on my own. It is so wonderful that Jiffy Lube is supporting the arts in this way. I am grateful that I was selected to participate in this project.
Q. How did you decide on this particular design for the mural?
A. After I created the chimpanzee on a 4′ x4′ piece in my studio, I knew I wanted it to become a mural if a wall ever presented itself.
The original painting was part of my Education Series, a group of pieces that portray endangered and extinct animals and highlights the importance of education and conservation. One is not possible without the other, and I hope that by painting these extinct or endangered animals surrounded by books that I can create a dialog around what each of us can do to preserve and protect our planet.
When deciding what to paint, I knew there was a school very close to this mural, so I loved the idea of having a piece from my Education Series on that wall.
Q. Was your approach to this mural different than your other murals?
A. All of my works are very bright and colorful. Forcing colors together, even colors that seem to fight one another, and then making them work is a style that runs throughout all my work.
On this mural, I had to contend with a rougher wall, which changed how I approached the paint application. The brick on the facade of the Jiffy Lube is heavily textured and the relief is several inches deep, so I painted on ten-foot-tall plastic boards that were installed over the brick walls. I painted bars of solid color onto the wall to tie the rougher portions of the wall to the focal point.
Q. How do you feel now that your mural is complete?
A. Happy, of course! I worked on this mural for approximately 60 hours! I’m honored to be part of Jiffy Lube’s public art program. It means a great deal when a company chooses to invest in the creative economy. I am also grateful for the nice weather I experienced and the friendly staff at Jiffy Lube!
Interested in learning more about Alexandra Hall? You can connect with her here:
