New Mural In Downtown Annapolis Honors Anne Arundel County Heritage

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Artists on Thursday signed their new mural in downtown Annapolis, dedicating the painting to Anne Arundel County and its diverse heritage.

The mural is on the side of the Arundel Center, which is the county government building located at 44 Calvert Street.

The painting, dubbed "The Best Place - For All Mural," completely covered a previously blank wall that is about 45 feet tall and 65 feet wide.

"The Best Place - For All, our county slogan, is now depicted in art right on the side of the Arundel Center for all our residents to see," County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a press release. "Celebrating art and our local artists benefits all of our residents, and helps make our county a more beautiful place to live."

The mural shows Marylanders from several professions surrounded by Annapolis landmarks like the State House and the Anne Arundel County Court House. Blue Angel planes fly over one corner, and farm animals roam a pasture on the other side. A Great Blue Heron stands watch over the waterway filled with boats while a giant fishing rod is cast over a bounty of fish and crabs.

Visitors can scan a QR code on-site to bring the mural to life in augmented reality.

Residents can also watch this painting timelapse or visit this website to learn more about the county's murals.

Finding The Artists

Anne Arundel County announced plans for the mural in February and called for artists to submit their proposals. The county offered $60,000 to cover painter supplies, fees and salaries.

The selection committee collected 39 applications from muralists across the country. The top two artists had close scores, so the panel asked the duo to work together.

The two painters, Comacell Brown Jr. and Cindy Fletcher-Holden, agreed to partner on the project.

Politicians, community leaders and residents gathered at the mural Thursday to celebrate the artists and commemorate their work. Representatives from the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and the Annapolis Arts District were also on hand.

"I learned so much from Cindy with her expertise," Brown said in the release. "This mural will truly stand the test of time and will hopefully help bridge the gap between the different groups of people that live in this county, and truly reflect our county's motto."

Meet The Muralists

Brown is the lead designer at Tunnel Vision, a sports apparel company in Severn. The muralist, who is nicknamed "Cell Spitfire," is also the CEO of Cell Spitfire Paintings and Designs. The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County named Brown the 2021 Visual Artist of the Year.

Brown is known for painting "The Walking Man," which memorialized Carlester "Buckwheat" Smith on the wall of Pinkey's West Street Liquors. Last year, Brown painted the Carr's Beach mural at the Maryland Cultural Conference Center. Carr's Beach was an Annapolis coastline that welcomed Black residents and musicians during segregation.

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Cell Spitfire's art can also be found on basketball courts in the District of Columbia, Kentucky and New York.

Fletcher-Holden has more than 30 years of experience in hand lettering and painting murals.

Her lettering adorns boats throughout the Chesapeake Bay. The Annapolis native's murals decorate the walls of Starbucks, Glory Days Restaurants, Graduate Hotels and a few private murals in Spain and Portugal.

Fletcher-Holden also painted the Great Wall of Eastport. This was the first mural in Annapolis, and it was the brainchild of former Mayor Ellen Moyer.

"Painting this mural was an exciting challenge and I was honored to share with Comacell many of my tried and true methods of such large scale work" Fletcher-Holden said of her most recent mural. "I was amazed and thrilled with how the public reacted with such positivity over the course of the six weeks. I feel that this wall and the story it tells really will be a great addition to the county."