Artist: Joy Hernandez - Indianapolis, Indiana
What the artist says about the mural: "The mural has three astronauts, my character Bean and two buddies, Conrad and Gordon, executing some complex roller-skating moves as the mural is on the side of a roller-skating rink. Bean is named for Alan Bean, the only artist to have walked on the moon in Apollo 12, and who seemed to be a happy-go-lucky guy. Conrad and Gordon, the other two astronauts, are named in honor of Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon, the other two astronauts on that mission. Bean’s main theme is living vicariously. You don’t see who’s in the space suit, so that can be anyone; Bean could be that little kid standing there in wonder, or a grown-up remembering good old days. Bean is meant to do those things we maybe can’t personally do. I certainly can’t do those roller-skating moves! An adult looking at the mural may reminisce doing some of those moves in that rink, a long time ago when their knees still allowed for it. Anyone can see themselves in Bean and let their imaginations travel on Bean’s adventures."