UPDATE: The mural will be on display in the rotunda from Tuesday, June 13 through Friday, June 16 during regular museum hours.
The Orlando Museum of Art will host a free event on Monday, June 12, at 5 p.m., during which it will unveil a special mobile mural that was once on display on the side of Burton’s Bar in Thornton Park.
The mural, now named Inspiration Orlando United, was created by Michael Pilato, Yuriy Karabash, and Chimene Hurst and was created in tribute/memorial of the people who were lost during the Pulse nightclub shootings.
The Inspiration Orlando United mural is currently 44 feet wide by 14 feet high and features portraits of the 49 victims who lost their lives, two survivors who passed within a year of the events, and a selection of survivors, first responders, and caregivers.
The mural was painted on multiple panels in a workshop over the Mills 50 Anthony’s Pizza shop and then installed on the side of the building, before being removed so it could be toured to other cities.
“It is truly an honor to present this mural to our community,” says Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, Curator and Interim Head of Collections & Exhibitions. “It was important to us at the Orlando Museum of Art to honor the lives that were forever changed and offer a place of solace for our community. We hope this event provides an opportunity for heartfelt reflection and inspires unity, support, and advocacy.”
The Pulse shootings took place on June 12, 2016.
It’s so exciting that this new version of the mural will be on display for the first time. Since it was last installed at Burton’s, so many more people and stories behind the portraits have been added, the tone and composition has changed and the size has expanded considerably. Over the last year, the artist Michael Pilato has been gathering input from the families and loved-ones of the 49 victims and adding to it. Our group is honored that the Orlando Museum of Art is giving it a space to be shared in remembrance of such an important day. ♥️
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this mural and it’s absolutely breathtaking, moving, and inspirational.