Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, and city and state officials joined the Italian Cultural Center of Western Mass and Common Wealth Murals for a special ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday for the new mural titled “Sunday Dinner” painted by Eric Okdeh on the building of the Italian Cultural Center (ICC) located at 56 Margaret Street.
Mayor Sarno was honored to be in Springfield’s South End neighborhood with Common Wealth Murals Director Britt Ruhe, President of Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts Charles Becker, the mural artist Eric Okdeh, local officials including City Council President Attorney Michael Fenton, Hampden County Sherriff Nick Cocchi, State Representative Carlos Gonzalez, Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi, President of the South End Citizens Council Leo Florian, Agawam City Council Vice President Anthony Russo, along with members of the ICC and community.
The mural, “Sunday Dinner,” depicts four generations of an Italian family sharing a meal. Its composition pays homage to Norman Rockwell's iconic painting, "Freedom from Want." All of the models for the mural are members of the ICC. Featured in the painting are Tara Maynard, Leo Florian, Ashley Haas & Baby Rose Marie Blanchard, Charles Becker, Antoinette Baldini, Anthony Piteo (who turned 90 yesterday), Anthony Russo, Chief Petty Officer Retired Generoso Maddaloni.
Established in 1985, The Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts was founded to promote and celebrate Italian culture and heritage in all its aspects, bringing various Italian cultural groups under one umbrella. The ICC promotes Italian language, music lessons, scholarship, and exchange students. The ICC’s original location was on Acushnet Avenue and in 2008 moved to its current location at 56 Margaret Street.
The mural was painted by Philadelphia-based muralist, Eric Okdeh, who also painted one other mural in Springfield in 2021 celebrating the life of Howard Drew, located at 185 Dwight Street. With over 25 years of experience in mural and mosaic making and over 150 public art commissions throughout the U.S., Spain, Jordan and Norway, Okdeh brings a technical skillset that helps groups
utilize art making as a process for community engagement and discovery. He is proud to have created public art with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and multiple Percent for Art programs and other public art organizations throughout the US and the world. His work is featured in seven books about public art.
To date, Common Wealth Murals has created more than 80 murals in Springfield and more in other Massachusetts cities and towns. The organization has also trained more than 70 local artists and teachers in community-engaged mural making, and has directly engaged thousands of people of all ages in participatory mural design and painting. Common Wealth Murals began mural-making in Springfield in 2019 with the Fresh Paint festival, and has also produced Springfield’s graffiti jams, window, bike kiosk and sidewalk chalk installations, and other temporary public art installations.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “This public art initiative is something I have welcomed and embraced right from the start. The City and I are happy to continue to support the work of Common Wealth Murals and positive impact they have in our community. Britt Ruhe and her Common Wealth Murals team do an excellent job bringing a welcoming vibrancy and creativity to our downtown and to neighborhoods throughout Springfield. Thank you to Common Wealth Murals, the artists, and our friends at the Italian Cultural Center for working to make this mural happen.”
“As a first generation Italian-American and proud member of the ICC, this mural at the ICC building means a lot to the community. It was a proud and exciting moment to see the completed “Sunday Dinner” mural by Eric Okdeh depicting some of our very own ICC members celebrating faith, familia, and food. Sunday dinner and coming together with family is so important and what a beautiful tradition to memorialize here,” continued Mayor Sarno. “As with all their mural projects, Common Wealth Murals gets the community directly involved in enhancing our city’s aesthetics and pedestrian experience, which makes our city look good and people feel good, leading to spin off effects of people spending money by patronizing our business and cultural amenities.”
