Streetcar Mural

Jesse Corlis created his Streetcar Mural in 2017. The work is paint on brick and took over one hundred hours to complete. It depicts a streetcar stopping to pick up passengers. Two men lean on a wall watching the scene, while a gentleman helps a women onto the car at the front of a queue of several others. The work is not an exact replica of any particular moment, but an imaginary conglomeration of several scenes that would have been common near the turn of the twentieth century. Corlis used several antique reference photos, but the composition is ultimately original. Reflecting the idea that the scene captures a time period rather than a specific event, the mural fades into the wall at the top, and the figures possess indistinct facial features. Tom Flaherty, owner of the building, commissioned Corlis to create the mural. The brick canvas presented a challenge to the artist, as the nooks and crannies between bricks made maintaining perspective and detail difficult. In addition to mural work, Corlis also works as an illustrator and graphic designer.