In June of 2022, artist Jamie Bonfiglio created a 12ft x 40ft mural at the Gary Brooks Community Garden and outdoor venue at 4031 W. Florissant Ave

Mr. Gary Brooks, who has maintained a community garden for 30 years, provided a vision for the mural to include depiction of Black families controlling our own culture and food economy by planting, growing and harvesting food from the garden.

APEDF received a grant from The Gateway Foundation in addition to many community donations to fund the mural.

Jamie completed a second mural on the wall next to the Black Power Vanguards Community Basketball Court.

These were the first of several murals we would like to install in the area, along with APEDF’s other community revitalization projects that are inspiring others and rebuilding a positive future for the north side.

These murals will provide a vibrant visual rendition of the neighborhood’s history, its current revitalization projects, and its thriving future. Artistic and cultural revitalization projects like this bring beauty, pride, and cohesion back to the O’Fallon Park area of the north side and point to the positive future to come.