For over 50 years the streets of Milwaukee have been Reynaldo Hernandez's gallery | The Arts Page

Send us Fan MailReynaldo Hernandez was born and raised on the South Side of Milwaukee. As a child he loved to draw and would doodle all the time. One of his earliest creations was the mascot for his middle school, the Walker Wildcat. Realizing his talent, Reynaldo was encouraged by his teachers and parents to pursue art. He did and went on to have a long and prosperous career in the arts.In the late 70's he started doing murals. At that time public murals were not very common. His first public mural was on the side of a liquor store on the North Side of Milwaukee. "People were like, 'Why are you doing that? They're just gonna mess it up,'" Reynaldo said referring to street taggers. But Reynaldo wasn't deterred and continued making murals. In the early 90's he created one of Milwaukee's most iconic murals, The Mural of Peace. Located on 6th and National in Walker's Point, The Mural of Peace has stood the test of time...mostly. "There was a real bad wind storm in the early 2000's that knocked all the panels off so I had to re-do it," Reynaldo told us. The mural is painted on over 280 individual panels and attached to the wall. A logistical feat almost as impressive as it's message. The Mural of Peace represents a world that is united. One that celebrates all the different cultures that make us unique. It represents a community that respects one another's heritage and champions equality. We are lucky to have such a magnificent work of art in our city and we are lucky to have Reynaldo Hernandez.Find more programs at https://www.milwaukeepbs.org/stream