“Before I Die” mural on Morris Avenue gets a makeover [PHOTOS]

Strolling along Morris Avenue, you might notice a few extra pigeons hanging around these days. The “Before I Die” mural has a new addition thanks to local artist Catherine Blake, and here’s the story behind it.

History of the “Before I Die” mural

This isn’t the first time the “Before I Die” mural has hit headlines.

In the spring of 2019, when the mural first made its debut, Birmingham locals gathered to fill in the blank: “Before I die, I want to ___.” As you would expect, some answers were pretty attention-grabbing.

Over the next couple of years, the mural was flooded with more responses. Walking past the mural, you could always expect to see something new overlapping thoughts from the past.

On the morning of July 26, 2021, boxes were set on fire on Morris Avenue in front of the mural. Unfortunately, it wasn’t left unscathed.

Despite the damage, Jay Brandrup of Kinetic Communications on Morris Avenue and other neighbors started thinking of ways to refresh the wall.

On January 10, 2024, a new work of art was on full display.

About the artist + new mural

Birmingham local Catherine Blake is the artist behind the new mural now on display on Morris Avenue. Blake has a special talent for art, which she shares on social media and through t-shirts with adorable custom designs.

Now, she’s taking her talent to the streets. The blank space in the middle of the “Before I Die” mural gave Blake the opportunity to create her first public mural. Her inspiration? Morris Avenue itself.

Blake said she takes frequent walks to The Pizitz, often seeing pigeons and peanut shells on the cobblestone road. Drawing inspiration from this experience, Blake used chalk to bring her playful concept to life:

“It’s inspired by Birmingham pigeons and the Birmingham food scene—how much Birmingham is growing, too. I love it here.”

Catherine Blake

Jay Brandrup, Principal of Kinetic Communications located right across from the “Before I Die” mural, shared his thoughts on the project.

“We wanted to revive the walls after the fire a couple of years ago. Once again, neighbors pitched in to raise the funds to get it all fixed back up and give it a fresh slate—pun intended—for everybody in the community to stop by and ponder their thoughts, whether whether philosophical or comedic.

Jay Brandrup, Principal, Kinetic Communications

Blake is a designer on Kinetic’s team, and she was perfect for the project:

You may notice that the middle area is not lined with fill-in-the-blanks. It was always imagined as a revolving, changing artist space. When I mentioned it to our amazing Cat, she didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped on the idea.”

Jay Brandrup, Principal, Kinetic Communications

We can’t wait to see more work from Catherine before we die.

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