A preliminary look at the new Ben’s Chili Bowl mural. (Photo via Twitter)

A preliminary look at the new Ben’s Chili Bowl mural. (Photo via Twitter)

Paintbrush has hit wall at last as work begins on the new Ben’s Chili Bowl mural.

Already, as artist Aniekan Udofia sketches the outlines on the side of the iconic U Street building, figures of D.C. luminaries old and new have started to emerge: Harriet Tubman, Dick Gregory, Dave Chappelle, Marion Barry, Muhammad Ali, Taraji P. Henson, Jim Vance, Wale, Russ Parr, Donnie Simpson, Chuck Brown, Prince, and Michelle and Barack Obama.

And that’s not all. Even more people will be added to the design, which has continued to undergo changes, according to Nancee Lyons, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Works and the Commission on the Arts and Humanities MuralsDC program, which commissioned the Ben’s Chili Bowl murals.

Some of these faces also adorned Udofia’s previous mural for Ben’s Chili Bowl, created in 2012, like the former president, Chuck Brown, and Donnie Simpson.

But the face that lead to controversy over the mural—that of longtime Ben’s fan Bill Cosby—will not be part of the new work, says Lyons.

Indeed, Cosby’s face looking out onto the busy U Street Corridor took on a new, creepier meaning after decades of sexual assault allegations began to stick to the longtime comedian, and Ben’s Chili Bowl faced increased pressure to denounce Cosby and paint over his face.

In late January, Ben’s Chili Bowl finally did just that—replacing Udofia’s colorful work with white paint. But the owners said that the change was because it was “time to refresh and repaint the mural.”

In April, local artist Robert Generette III designed a temporary mural featuring Wizards players John Wall and Bradley Beal as the team entered the NBA Playoffs.

The new design has a narrative concept, according to Lyons. As Udofia told Washingtonian, “This is not a memorial. D.C. has enough memorials. This is a celebration of life, of the living, of the living history the Obamas brought us.”

Filed Under: art, bens chili bowl, mural,