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Ahead of Black History Month in the U.S. in February, Elgin has something that celebrates local black history for anyone to see.
The Elgin Black Icons Mural dedication will be Saturday, Jan. 14, at 11 a.m. at 101 Central Ave. intersecting with Main Street. The mural was completed by Jeremy Biggers in December 2022 for the Elgin Sesquicentennial.
Located in the historically segregated south side of the tracks, the mural is gift to the community from the Elgin Main Street Board. Artwork recognizes and honors Black community leaders both deceased and living. Civil rights leader Harvey Westbrook, educator Annie Lee Haywood, business owners and community leaders S.H. McShan and Dororthy McCarther, and musician Monty Joe Thomas are the featured portraits in the 50-foot-long and 20-foot-high wall of the building facing South Main Street. Short stories of their lives, musical performances and a community prayer circle will be shared during the dedication.
Led by Theresa McShan, Elgin’s first Black mayor and past president of the Elgin Main Street Board, the mural shares a legacy of Black leadership in Elgin recognizing the past and looking forward to the future.
The Elgin Main Street Program is part of the Elgin Community Services Division with a volunteer board dedicated to revitalizing the historic downtown business district using the Four Point Main Street Approach and focusing on economic development in the context of historic preservation. This is the second mural funded by the program and the sixth new mural in the district since 2015. The mural was funded by the program’s annual Hogeye Festival and a gift from Jimmy and Cindi Ferguson, owners of Elgin’s McDonald’s. The mural will be included in the Elgin Self-Guided Black History tour and the Elgin Art Walking Tour athttps://www.elgintexas.gov.
About Jeremy Biggers
Dubbed "Dallas' Hardest Working Multi-Hyphenate" by D Magazine, from drawing to painting to graphic design to photography to film making, Biggers has been involved with image making his entire life. He attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where he primarily focused on expression through graphite and charcoal drawing. During his college years, he cultivated his love for painting and photography, and they’ve since cemented themselves into his everyday life. As with many artists, his work is shaped by experiences that inform his view of the world. His goal with each piece is to inspire conversation. His work mixes realism with a design aesthetic. His partnerships have included IBM, Nike, Adidas, McDonalds, Major League Baseball, Paramount Pictures, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Fossil, Virgin Hotels, Cheetos, Bud Light, Cadillac, Sprint and Vice.
