New York-based painting company plans to knock Willie Mays mural out of the park [PHOTOS]

Willie Mays, Birmingham’s own centerfielder and one of baseball’s greatest living players, is being honored by the MLB through a breathtaking 50-foot-tall and 100-foot-wide mural between First Ave. N. and Morris Ave near 18th St.

The big leagues are coming to Birmingham with a game at Rickwood Field next week. Here’s what you need to know for MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues:

• What: San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• When: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 6:15PM
• Where: Rickwood Field in Birmingham

Keep reading to find out more about the mural + Mays’ connection to Rickwood Field.

Honoring Willie Mays

Over 180 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Mays played at Rickwood, the country’s oldest active professional ballpark. The game will be the first Major League Baseball game played in The Magic City. 

Next week’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants is considered one of the league’s premiere events during the 2024 season. It is a tribute to the Negro Leagues, where both teams will be wearing throwback uniforms representing former Negro League teams from their respective cities.

Rickwood Field was the home ballpark for the Birmingham Black Barons, but many teams from different leagues around the country stopped in the city to play at the historic stadium. 

The people behind the paint brushes

Colossal Media, which has its headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, is painting the mural. They usually handcraft temporary ads, but this mural of Willie Mays will stay up permanently. The mural will be completed before the big MLB game.

We spoke with one of the artists, Kate Rushton, who has roots in Birmingham. She said she is excited to give the people of Birmingham a way to remember Willie Mays’s iconic legacy and enjoy the beauty of artistic expression.

“I hope it gives a positive attitude to the history behind Willie Mays and him being from here. He is such a staple from this town. We’ve had such positive feedback so far, even in just the beginning, people have driven by and said it looks great. So, it’s nice to be able to bring a little bit of color to a blank wall in this area that has high traffic and that people are going to see. We hope it just brings some joy and positive energy to this area.”

– Kate Rushton, artist at Colossal Media

Excited to see the finished mural? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know your thoughts!