Wilmington’s Creative District is holding its June Inspire Lot event Friday night. As part of the event, a new mural created by local artist Terrance Vann will be unveiled.
Vann hadn’t seen the musical Hair before attending a performance by the City Theater Company to garner inspiration for his newest mural. He says he sat in the front row to take it all in.
“I just really caught the vibe of the play and wanted to do something special," he said. "It just came about, it was kind of weird. I really did it in a couple of hours, like 3-4 hours.”
Vann, who describes his artistic style as “Afro-Surrealism,” used spray paint for the Hair mural and says color plays a key role in his work.
“I really wanted to work in concert with the play itself," Vann said. "Because that musical is very powerful, and I wanted to do something that could complement everything that they’re saying through color and composition.”
And he says symbolism that he incorporated – such as a clenched fist, and a hand making a peace sign – resonate with the essence of the play.
“In the play hair what was so powerful about it was that they were so revolutionary in their thinking," Vann said. "There’s a lot of power that comes with that. That’s why on one side there was the fist – which is the strength – and then the other side is the peace sign – which you need both.”
Vann is keeping busy: working on another mural with the Creative District this summer, and attending other art festivals like the Manayunk Arts Festival in Philadelphia.
The Inspire Lot event will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. this Friday between 215 and 219 W. 7th Street, with a rain date of June 10.
