Whitney Houston Mural

The mural created by Artist Maude Lemarie was inspired and dedicated to the Newark Native, Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was an iconic legend that not only left a mark on the world, but also had an impact on Newark. Whitney Houston is one of the most inspiring singers to ever come out of Newark and her impact has led people such as Maude Lemarie to create murals and works of art in her honor.

Whitney Houston, who was an African-American singer and actress, was born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey. Whitney began singing in church as a child and while still in high school, sang back up for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. She also modeled for fashion magazines and by age 19 she signed with Arista Records. She released her Debut album in 1985 titled, Whitney Houston, and it became the biggest selling album by a debut artist. She had several hits on the album including, 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', and 'The Greatest Love of all'. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame later in November of 2009. She earned six grammies and was the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 songs. Whitney Houston was an icon not to just her community but also the world.

The mural located at the Prudential Center is a glass mosaic mural that is comprised of over 1,000 pounds of hand-cut glass. The color mural was created by no other than Artist Maude Lemarie. Maude Lemarie is a artist and founder of a Newark based company called, MODSAICA. She specializes in glass mosaic murals and sculptures and some her well-known work includes a glass mosaic mural of Diana Ross and Frida Kahlo. The Whitney Houston mural took about four months to properly place the pieces together and another month to put it on the building. It was then unveiled on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 to the public. The mural was created to uplift the Newark community and remind natives along with visitors that Whitney got her start from New Jersey, a place filled with rich musical roots.

Whitney Houston was an important figure to Newark and her impact on the music industry not only impacted the world but it also impacted her community. Whitney Houston’s success left a permanent stain on Newark and caused people to realize that success is possible in Newark. Whitney Houston also impacted a lot of people from her hometown and allowed them to realize that Newark is filled with rich musical history.

Saunders-Watson, Catherine. “Whitney Houston Mural Highlights New Building in Newark's Arts District.” Auction Central News, Catherine Saunders-Watson Https://Www.liveauctioneers.com/News/Wp-Content/Uploads/2019/12/ACN-Logo-2019-2.Png, 26 May 2021, https://www.liveauctioneers.com/news/top-news/art-design/whitney-houston-mural-highlights-new-building-in-newarks-arts-district/

“Whitney Mural.” GRAMMY Museum Experience™ Prudential Center, https://www.grammymuseumexp.org/whitney-mural/

“Whitney Houston Mosaic Mural Unveiled at the Prudential Center.” Prudential Center, https://prucenter.com/news/watch-whitney-mural-unveiling-at-12pm

Rebecca Panico | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “Towering Glass Mosaic Mural of Whitney Houston Pays Tribute to Late Singer, City's Musical Roots.” Nj, 17 Dec. 2020, https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2020/12/towering-glass-mosaic-mural-of-whitney-houston-in-newark-pays-tribute-to-late-singer-citys-musical-roots.html