Quan, Yin, James Brown, and Lao Tzu

Photos by Sara La Fluer

A few days before the 4th of July, the mural on the Parkway theatre was erased by an unknown vandal. CRP took the opportunity to dedicate a new mural to James Brown and Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu was a great philosopher who wrote the Tao Te Ching. He once said that "an overly sharpened blade dulls quickly." James Brown the legendary musician and singer had a complementary saying that "a dull knife just ain't cutting' it." We wanted to show a connection in ideas that reflected the balance that is required for a good life. To the right of James Brown, we painted the buddhist saint of compassion Quan Yin in the doorway. Quan Yin is holding a vase in her left hand that holds the world natural disasters. Her compassion for us gives her the strength to hold it upright and keep it from spilling. We thought that was an appropriate prayer for these times.