Mural - Roberto Clemente

An oversized image of Roberto Clemente’s face has appeared in the form of a wheatpaste on Niagara Street, near the corner of Hudson. The image was applied by artist Max Collins, and adds some artistic life to a section of Niagara Street that could use some imaginative works of this nature.

I took a closer look at the wheatpaste mural earlier this morning, and liked the way that Roberto Clemente’s face kinda peeks out from around the side of the building. In recent years, while works of art have been scattered throughout the city, Niagara Street has missed the boat on this trend. "My father owns the business where the mural is going up and has been there for 25 years," adds Alex. "We hope to inspire the neighborhood by showing that art is key to beautifying all areas of town. It will also add to the identity of Avenida San Juan, the City’s landing ground for Puerto Ricans since a big wave of immigration in the 1980’s. Roberto is a hero on the island. He was an outstanding ball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and overcame the adversity of being a dark skinned athlete during the years of civil unrest. His willingness to sacrifice was also solidified in that he died in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to Nicaragua, on New Years eve 1972."

- Buffalo Rising: Roberto Clemente’s Face Appears on Niagara Street, by Queenseyes. (online August 2015)

2015 photo

August 15, 2021 photos

"For those who may not know, Roberto Clemente (1934-1972) is a hero on the island of Puerto Rico as well as to baseball fans around the world. He was a right-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 seasons and was the first Caribbean and Latino baseball player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His legacy stretches far beyond baseball as he was also a notable humanitarian and often did charitable work in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Clemente died tragically in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

"The original mural of Clemente was made of simple wheat paste and was in decay; falling off the side of the Efrain Burgos Hair Salon. The hair salon owner, Efrain, along with several other community supporters enlisted the help of Los Artistas del Barrio to restore the mural over this past summer with LADB muralist Vinny Alejandro leading the charge. Now completed, this beautiful mural is a bright beacon on the Avenida de San Juan, which has long served as the landing place for Puerto Ricans who have since settled in Buffalo." - Buffalo Rising, September 28, 2021

Artist's signature: LADB ALLIES (online August 2021)