Top of the Morning, May 13, 2025
May 13—A nationally known muralist, Portland, Maine-based Ryan Adams is excited to try his talented hands at something new starting today in Champaign.
For the next two-plus weeks, he will add color and a message on 8,400-square feet at the popular basketball courts at Douglass Park.
"This a first for me," he said, "I have painted street murals before, but a court is much different. I'm beyond excited."
He's been planning his "Unite, do right" mural for almost a year. It pays tribute to Frederick Douglass ("I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong") and is a part of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail.
"The significance of a court within a community is huge," he said. "Not only as a gathering place and common ground for people from all walks of life, but it is also a place where people can find love for their sport, refine their skills through dedication and practice, and really become an integral part of their lives."
We'll have more on Adams and his work as the project takes shape.
"I hope that people feel like they have something special and unique in their neighborhood, a one-of-one piece that brings a vibrant life to the park created just for them," he said. "I hope that gives people pride in their neighborhood, and upon spending time with it, that they dig in to the meaning behind the piece and the remarkable life and work of Frederick Douglass."
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