MARBLEHEAD —The Marblehead Arts Association is embracing the future of public art through a collaboration with Beyond Walls, a Lynn-based nonprofit known for transforming blank cityscapes into landmarks.
The event, held in the historic King Hooper Mansion during the Marblehead Festival of Arts, marked the unveiling of a reimagined mural by acclaimed Dominican-American artist Omar García, better known as “Angurria,” titled “Dona Patria” on Saturday.
Originally painted on a building in Lynn in 2017 as part of Beyond Walls’ first street art festival, Angurria’s striking image of a woman in pink hair rollers became an icon.
The night’s featured mural, created by Angurria and digitally adapted to Marblehead’s historic museum, reflects Dominican culture through its portrait of a woman in hair rollers — a tribute to the artist’s mother and her beauty salon in the Dominican Republic.
When the building was demolished in 2021, the community in Lynn and beyond felt the loss. Now, the image lives on in a reimagined form on the walls of Marblehead’s 300-year-old mansion, representing a bridge between communities and cultures.
“This is about engagement as much as it is about art,” said Al Wilson, founder of Beyond Walls. “We curate to the communities we work in. It’s not just murals for murals’ sake — it’s storytelling, identity and visibility.”
Wilson joined the Marblehead Arts Association Executive Director Xhazzie Kindle for a presentation on the origins and mission of Beyond Walls. Since its founding in 2016, the nonprofit has completed over 220 large-scale public art pieces across 15 Massachusetts cities, especially in historically under-resourced “gateway cities” like Lynn, Holyoke, and Fall River.
Wilson detailed how Angurria’s mural helped launch his career, eventually leading to collaborations with Adidas and art direction for the film “In the Heights.”
Born in Santo Domingo, Angurria is a graphic designer, illustrator, and muralist whose career spans more than two decades. Known for celebrating Afro-Caribbean beauty and Dominican culture, his signature style blends pop art influences with bold color palettes and expressive portraiture. The women he depicts, often shown in hair rollers, have become icons across walls from the Caribbean to Europe and the U.S.
Angurria’s Lynn mural was a turning point. After its debut, he was quickly commissioned for major projects in New York City and later selected to design key visual elements for the film “In the Heights,” directed by Jon M. Chu and based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical.
His work was prominently featured throughout the film, solidifying his reputation as one of the most influential Latino artists in the street art world. In recent years, Angurria has collaborated with Adidas, designing for their global streetwear line, and he has exhibited in cities such as Miami, Lisbon, and Barcelona.
Despite his growing international acclaim, he returned to work with Beyond Walls, taking time off from a large-scale commission painting a cruise ship in Finland to adapt his original Lynn mural for its new home in Marblehead.
“Having Angurria return for this installation is incredibly meaningful,” said Wilson.
Kindle said, “This is more than art — it’s cultural continuity, and it’s personal.”
“This partnership is about expanding access,” Kindle added. “We want to take this 100-year-old arts institution and make it resonate with younger, more diverse, and more dynamic audiences.”
Beyond Walls’ impact goes far beyond aesthetics. More importantly, the murals have sparked meaningful conversations, particularly among youth. One middle school student, standing in front of Angurria’s original mural, told Wilson: “I see my mom.”
“It’s that kind of connection that keeps us doing this work,” said Wilson. “Art gives voice to the people who are often left out of the story.”
With plans for more murals, educator collaborations, and youth-driven public art projects — including new installations in Lynn starting July 28 — Beyond Walls and the Marblehead Arts Association hope this is just the beginning.
“Public art doesn’t just beautify a space,” said Wilson. “It transforms how people feel in it.”
For more information on upcoming events or to support the Marblehead Arts Association’s accessibility projects, visit marbleheadarts.org.
The new mural is on view until the end of August outside the Marblehead Arts Association at 8 Hooper Street. For more information on upcoming events or to support community programming, visit marbleheadarts.org
To learn more about Beyond Walls and their public art initiatives, visit beyondwalls.org.
For more from the artist, follow @angurria on Instagram.
