Mural Title: Icons of the Sun
Artist(s): Pamela Friday-Faulkner and Margarita Vargas
Original Location: Unknown
Date Painted: circa 1977
Visible Today?: No
Photo Credit: Photograph printed in 1977 issue of Drum Magazine (Volume 7, Number 3).
Description: The mural Icons of the Sun added vibrancy and beauty to an everyday setting: a public pool that, unfortunately, no longer exists. The mural was designed and executed by two of Nelson Stevens’ students, Pamela Friday-Faulkner and Margarita Vargas. While Friday-Faulkner worked on the left and right sides of the mural, Vargas painted the richly layered landscape in the center. For both students, mural painting offered an opportunity to explore and honor their heritage. In creating this mural, Vargas looked to the landscape and culture of Puerto Rico while Friday-Faukner was inspired by African and African American art. Stevens and his students were proud of mural projects like this one, which involved their communities and enhanced public spaces. As Friday-Faulkner recalls, “what was really interesting […] was the community interaction—people would stop by and comment or chat.”