New Murals Near Brooklyn Park Library Now Complete
Geno Okok has converted an old storage container into a work of art that he believes will inspire hopes and dreams. The result is a colorful mural located next to the Brooklyn Park Library and across the street from North Hennepin Community College.
“Some of the faces are members of the community,” Okok said. “It shows kids of all races coming together and shows the community that they’re having fun.”
Okok is a local artist who has painted murals across the Twin Cities. There are messages and paintings on all four sides of Okok’s rectangular-shaped canvas that are old shipping containers. The south end of one reads Black Lives Matter.
“This was inspired by the youth from Zanewood and Rec on the Go,” Okok said. “They talked about wanting to see Black Lives Matter. Murals and paintings around the city. Then right after the George Floyd incident we decide we really need to portray this message. This is very visible to the public. Everyone gets to see it and hopefully we get the message across.”
Geno Okok: “We need unity and love”
On the north end of the container, Geno Okok emphasized community engagement.
“If you step back and you take a look it actually says, we love BP,” Okok said. “It shows certain parts of Brooklyn Park and certain parts of Minnesota. This part right here, this center part, is actually my favorite part of the whole mural because it explains so much in it and this is all we need – unity and love.”
Brooklyn Park’s slogan is “Unique, United, Undiscovered.” Okok hopes the mural is not only unique, but might unite and help people discover.
“This is the sum of my entire work,” Okok said. “To encourage the youth and encourage the people to never give up on your dreams. To keep pushing, keep striving and one day your dreams will come true.”
