Frederick, Maryland nonprofits Community Arts, Inc and TGP Gives announce their collaboration to build one of the world’s largest sports murals located at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, Maryland. The mural will celebrate 125 years of history in more than 30 sports and will recognize 5 coaches and 250 athletes.
While all of the athletes attended Frederick County schools, they also have gone on to achieve fame through the Olympics, including one in Tokyo in 2021, and several professional sports. The mural will feature current LA Rams and Redskins players, plus retired players in the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA and PGA. There are a number of active minor league baseball players and professional basketball players in the European leagues in the mural. In addition, there are Paralympic, Deaf Olympic and Pan American Games gold medalists. The featured collegiate athletes include NCAA Division I champions and All-Americans, plus more than 30 who are in their college’s Halls of Fame. Numerous honorees are also recognized for inclusion in the Maryland Hall of Fame, including one individual who is also in the International Jousting Hall of Fame, representing Maryland’s state sport. The mural pays tribute to one animal, a Preakness winning horse who won the hearts of many.
Visionary and artist Yemi Fagbohun, founder of Community Arts, Inc created the mural concept seven years ago. Since then, he has worked with an architect, structural engineer and a construction firm, plus the City of Frederick to be able to locate the 550 long and 14-foot-tall public art project along the exterior wall of the stadium. “ I thought I would paint a dozen or more portraits, but when we started to research, we found hundreds of athletes who have been recognized for high levels of achievement in their respective sports.”
TGP Gives has joined forces with Community Arts, Inc to run point on fundraising, marketing and to assist with getting the project up off the ground. TGP Gives is the nonprofit arm of Troyce Gatewood & Partners, a real estate company with a philanthropic mission to better our community through acts of kindness and generosity.
“With the effects of the recent pandemic, the mural is a perfect way to shift focus on something so positive by capturing the history of sports in Frederick County,” say Joe Gatewood, Chairman of TGP Gives. “Our objective at TGP Gives is to better our community and I can’t think of a more fitting project as the mural will tug on the hearts of so many in our community, not just today but for years to come.”
The two-million-dollar project at Harry Grove Stadium will be an economic driver and tourist attraction with 44 million views per year by drivers from the roads that pass it by according to the CoStar report. Construction is set to begin in 2022. In addition to the artwork, there will be ramps, a boardwalk, lighting, sunshade and interactive digital signage to enhance the visitor experience. For more information, please visit www.fredericksportsmural.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
