About the Taproom Mural: A Q&A with Marka27

By Dan Carlson

We’re not afraid to say it: our taproom mural straight up rules.

If it sounds like we’re bragging, we’re not. We’re thrilled to have it in our space, but we can’t take a shred of credit for it - we just provided the wall. The mural itself is the work of Victor Quinoñez, or Marka27, an ultra-talented artist and former POW! WOW! Worcester alum.

We often get questions about the mural -- what does it represent, who is the woman, etc. But it ain’t our mural so we ain’t gonna answer those questions. However, we recently reconnected with Marka to talk about the mural, plus a few other things. Read the Q&A below to learn more.

After our team reached out to you, what was your process for coming up with the concept and design?

Redemption Rock was very supportive with the creative process. They gave subtle direction and trusted what I do as an artist. We wanted to create a mural that felt organic and not cliché for a brewery.

What ideas are you trying to convey with this mural?

The mural represents the connection between humans and nature. The owl represents wisdom for many native cultures and the woman in the mural is a symbol for mother earth. We incorporated subtle graphic elements of barley and hops, two key ingredients for brewers.

We wanted the mural to feel welcoming and inspiring for guests to enjoy while spending time and connecting with friends and family at Redemption Rock.

What was your painting process like?

I only used spray paint for the entire mural. The sketch was done beforehand and approved by Redemption Rock. I painted the mural mostly at night using ladders and a scissor lift to reach up high.

This obviously isn’t your first mural in Worcester. What other projects have you done in city?

I have a seven-stories-tall mural across from the Hanover Theater on Main Street that was painted for the first POW! WOW! Worcester in 2016. Big shout out and thanks to Che Anderson for all the support!

What projects are you working on now?

I'm working on several projects. This 2018 has been a pretty busy year for me and Street Theory. The most recent mural we completed was for the Somerville Arts Council in Union Square. We have other projects coming up in Cambridge, Detroit, and Berkeley to name a few. Street Theory, our creative lifestyle agency, also has some amazing projects coming up. You can find out more by following us on Instagram: @streettheorygallery  and @marka_27.