The mural also features a statue of Matthew Henson, a black explorer born in Nanjemoy, Maryland, who made history as one of the first Americans to reach the North Pole in 1909. The film’s title is “Mariparuk,” an affectionate nickname given to Henson by the Arctic Inuit community during his expedition.
“It’s actually a conversation piece,” said Alexandria Briggs-Blake, president of the Tucker Road Parents Association, which is part of the rink’s stakeholder group. “This is a very diverse and inclusive mural displayed in a beautiful location at the ice rink in a way that brings people together.”
In 2020, Briggs-Blake was a finalist for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, which is given to “an individual who has made a positive impact on his or her community, culture, or society through the sport of hockey.” .
Del Valle said she enjoys hearing compliments about the mural from rink patrons every time she takes her kids skating.
“People don’t know I painted this, so I listen to people,” he said. “One of the things I like most is that a lot of people think about how someone looks like someone in a mural, how people look to themselves or people they know. It’s about talking.”
The Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission selected Del Valle from a group of artists to paint the approximately $28 million, 48,860-square-foot rink mural, which opens in 2021. This rink replaces the old Tucker Road rink, which was destroyed in a terrorist attack. -Alarm electrical fire in January 2017.
“We needed to satisfy the hockey and figure skating communities with the mural, so we went through at least six drafts to come up with what the final product would look like,” M-NCPPC/Prince Visuals and Public Arts Coordinator Alec Simpson. George Parks and Recreation Department. “He was very professional and went above and beyond the call of duty in that regard.”
Del Valle said she drew on her love of hockey through her two children and sister, as well as her experience as a novice skater, as artistic inspiration.
