Marita Garrett, a member of the Wilkinsburg council and winner of the May 16 primary for Wilkinsburg mayor, told supporters she was among those in a small group searching for the right spot for the mural to be located. One day, she looked toward the Wilkinsburg Busway and saw an empty building.
“The sun just hit right here,” she said.
“I truly believe that a community needs arts and the culture, that’s essential to any community. If you don’t have that in your community, then what type of community do you really have,” Garrett said.
Flyboy is a character you can’t miss. If one grabs a bite to eat along Penn Avenue, they will see the mural. Headed on the “Fast Bus,” also known as the “P1” or the “EBA?” One is sure to see Flyboy.
Brantley has been recognized nationally for his public works and solo shows in Chicago, London, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles and New York. He’s collaborated with Nike and Adidas, to name a few. Brantley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in film from Clark Atlanta University.
Brantley told the New Pittsburgh Courier that Flyboy is all about empowering Black communities.
“It’s a lot to be said when you enter into African American communities and there’s a lack of representation in these settings (films, comics, cartoons),” he said. “So for me, it’s important to sort of create a character that can stand and be a hero (to African American audiences) and be a symbol of empowerment.”
“It’s so much more than art,” Garrett said. “What it signifies to our youth is that you can truly be anything that you want to be and that you should strive for excellence.”
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