Community Mural

Rising Up Parramore Mural Project: A Project Dedicated to the Parramore Community From Those Who are Committed to Remembering Parramore’s Past and Inspiring Parramore’s Future.

CREW Orlando has a history of community outreach projects and endeavors, including the Tower of Light in Downtown Orlando. In 2022, Orlando’s Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW Orlando) – in collaboration with the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC), AdventHealth, Orlando Magic, and OUC-The Reliable One – set out to coordinate one of Central Florida’s largest mural projects. Working with the City of Orlando, CREW Orlando located the perfect canvas for the mural – a 7-story, 2,000+ square foot wall on the North side of the parking garage of the City View Apartment Complex. Realizing its initial $5,000 budget was not going to be enough to even get the project off the ground, CREW Orlando set off on a fundraising campaign to bring the concept to reality. Early on, AdventHealth and Orlando Magic stepped up to partner with CREW Orlando by providing the financial support propelling the project to the next level and enhancing CREW Orlando’s fundraising efforts. OUC-The Reliable One also came forward with a similar contribution. The final project budget was over $165,000.

CREW Orlando and its team of collaborators hired five local female artists to design and paint a mural honoring the Unsung Heroes who provided their services to the community of Parramore during segregation. The artists were led by Maureen Hudas, a local artist who has painted several murals in Parramore and surrounding areas. The other artists working on the project included Kali Cade, Sabrina Dessalines, Kristina Lee-Moorer and Delia Miller, all young female artists of color (some of whom even grew up in Parramore).

The team worked closely with the Parramore community on the design of the mural, including local residents, historians and community leaders by holding several community charettes where community members gave their input on the mural. Particular attention has been paid to the history of the WellsBuilt Hotel which hosted artists and musicians of color during their stay in Orlando, as well as professionals (lawyers, doctors, nurses and educators) who provided their services to the Parramore community at a time when its residents could not obtain those services elsewhere. Artists depicted on the mural include renowned musicians Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, all of whom have ties to the WellsBuilt Hotel. The past community leaders who are honored include Mercerdese Clark, Dr. Wells, Kattie Adams, Georgia Nell Woodley, Pinkie Price, Mary Jane Johnson, Rubye Sanders, and Theresa Walton. The theme speaks to the idea of Parramore “rising up” against all odds during segregation, and the community contributions that made it happen.

This seven-story mural is produced on the CityView Apartment Building (101 S. Terry Avenue, Orlando, FL 32805), which is blocks from the former WellsBuilt Hotel (now, the Wells’ Built Museum). The project brightens the landscape of the Parramore community while serving as an iconic art exhibit educating the public and honoring those who built the history of the Parramore district.

Meeting the $165,000 project budget would not have been possible without the financial and in kind support of local businesses. The project’s primary “Rising Up” donors include Orlando Magic, AdventHealth, OUC-The Reliable One and CREW Orlando. Other donors who made significant contributions to the project include the City of Orlando District 5 Commissioner Regina I. Hill, Greenberg Traurig, Fidelity National Financial-Florida Agency, Florida Blue Foundation, Colwill Engineering Electrical, Inc., Sunbelt Rentals and Percopo Coatings. The project was also sponsored in part by the City of Orlando’s Mayor’s Matching Grant Program. CREW Orlando’s efforts in coordinating the mural project were strictly volunteer and no one in CREW Orlando was paid for their work in connection with the project. CREW Orlando and all of the project partners understand that the Parramore community has been underserved for many decades, and are excited to celebrate those past community leaders and legendary artists who have left an unforgettable mark in the Parramore Community.