Photos: Amazing LeBron James Mural Installed At Arkon Library

On Saturday, the Akron-based fine arts branding company, Art x Love, installed two new murals of LeBron James and Rita Dove at Akron’s Maple Valley Branch Library.

The wall paintings were created by the 35-year-old Akron man Dierre Fleetwood, who does his job under the name “Duece Dime.”

Fleetwood’s decision to paint LeBron on a wall was motivated by the actions the King took to help the city. The 8-by-8-foot, medium-density overlay panel painting shows James and a lion overlaid on the state of Ohio, which Fleetwood first drew in his sketchbook one evening.

“I was just thinking about LeBron, everything he did for the city,” Fleetwood said Saturday at the mural installation. “He inspires the whole city. Look at what he’s done. He brought us a chip back, too. From him building a school and just everything he’s doing for the community, he’s a big leader. He’s a big leader for Akron.”

The mural of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove, who was born and raised in Akron, was painted collaboratively by about 50 people at the 2018 PorchRokr fest in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood and finished by Akron artist Alan Lunda.

The two murals of King James and Rita Dove are part of 100 others that are bing exposed across Akron as part of the @PLAY project.

“We produced 100 murals, made enhancements to 50 public spaces including two public pools,” Mac Love, who runs Art x Love with his wife, Allyse Love, told Cleveland.com

Last year in July, shortly after James signed his new $154 million deal with the Lakers, artists Jonas Never and Menso One painted an awesome mural of the King in Los Angeles. The exact location is on the wall of Baby Blues BBQ in Venice.

The “King of LA” LeBron mural has already been vandalized.

It has since been touched up with the word “of” removed. (via @PrimeWolves & @never1959) pic.twitter.com/jmzEdtEyaf

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 8, 2018

Another James mural was also brought to life on Melrose Avenue and North Ogden Drive in the Fairfax District with The King looking up at a number of Laker greats including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The painting was artwork of muralist Gustavo Zermeno Jr.

NOW THIS IS A LAKERS MURAL! pic.twitter.com/xvgnEsJqnv

— Santiago Muñez (@mozkid8) July 19, 2018

Unfortunately, the art didn’t last long. Both murals were vandalised shortly after their exposal.