South Pittsburg, Tennessee, is already gorgeous, but a new mural will add a new creative spark to downtown this summer.

Arts in the Burg is a nonprofit organization that is working to spruce up the small town with art. They will officially launch this June with a huge event unveiling the 23’ x 98’ mural in the alley behind the Princess Theatre. Ivan Roque is the visual and street artist who has been commissioned for this project, and his art has made an international splash.

Roque is a Cuban-American artist from Miami. Recently, he spoke with Marion County News about how excited he is to bring his skills to South Pittsburg.

He said his mom is the one responsible for pushing him to chase his dream and pursue art. Roque is open and honest about how he didn’t paint his first “legal” mural until 2011. Before that, his artwork consisted of painting graffiti on abandoned buildings and train tracks.

For college, Roque enrolled at Miami International University of Art and Design, but he did not finish his degree due to financial issues. However, he later graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Visual Arts from Florida International University. His professional career has taken him to multiple countries and cities. The paper highlighted how Roque has painted murals in four countries and 10 states, including one that has already been painted in another part of Tennessee. He has also done four solo exhibitions. One of those took place at Coral Springs Art Museum in Florida. Brands have collaborated with Roque on projects as well. On his portfolio website, he shared that he has worked with Samsung, the Miami Dolphins, Microsoft, Corona and W Hotels to name a few. 

Roque’s art influences range from famous fashion designers to other artists. “His influences range from the old masters to the new such as Caravaggio, Marc Rothko, Typoe and Gianni Versace,” according to his website. He has also allowed his Miami roots to influence his style. In his interview with Marion County News, he explained that he likes to include flora and fauna in his projects. “My work tends to have a lot of flora and fauna along with my iconic vines that signify the connection between all living things, energy and time,” he said.

Roque is excited to leave his mark in South Pittsburg. “What excites me the most is the fact that I got to hear the people of South Pittsburg and really feel the love and pride they have for their city,” Roque told the paper. “So it really gave me perspective and it’s going to be a mural painted with nothing but love and joy in my heart.” He has created two designs that the public can vote on the Arts in the Burg website. Voting ends on Thursday, April 24th, and Roque will come to South Pittsburg next month to begin painting. 

Everyone can view some of Roque’s other artwork by visiting his website. To find out more about Arts in the Burg and their June launch, click the link below.