TULSA, Okla. — When Leon Russell's face was covered with white paint, Tulsans lost their minds.
The mural has been a staple downtown since 2018, but CEO of Grooper Dan Rotelli said it was time for a refresh.
“Obviously, these murals are important, but we spend a lot of money and time trying to put coatings on there to protect them so they have UV protection and that the paint is preserved," said Rotelli. "But the sun does what it does. Leon was getting pretty faded, the other mural was getting faded, and I just think you have to continue to refresh things and modernize things to stay relevant.”
Rotelli said he knew painting over the old Leon would evoke a reaction, but with a plan to bring him back better than ever, he figured the community would forgive him.
“The installation of white paint over those murals had a pretty significant emotional reaction," he said. “It really validates the effort that we’ve put into it and the money that we’ve spent on it because I can see how important they are.”
Jeks, the artist who painted the original mural, is back to restore Leon and another mural in the Grooper parking lot.
Rotelli said over the years, Jeks' skills have only gotten stronger, and he too wanted to improve the ode to the Oklahoma music legend.
“I truly believe there’s not a better graffiti artist anywhere in the world than Jeks, and when people go by there, I think it's going to be hard for them to believe and realize that those beautiful works of art were created with a spray paint can.”
Jeks was such a hit. The Church Studio also contracted him to do their murals in honor of Leon, who purchased the church in 1972.
“The first reaction was 'Oh gosh, what are they doing,' but it became clear pretty quickly that they were going to do another Leon mural," said executive director Stanton Doyle.
Celebrating Oklahoma's music scene, and of course Leon, is something he knows matters to the community.
“There’s just a lot of history in this building that wouldn’t be here if Leon hadn’t bought it and turned it into a recording studio," said Doyle.
2 News Oklahoma asked Rotelli why, as an AI company, Grooper has invested in so much artwork.
“We’re very close to the Tulsa Arts District, and I feel like people need that full Tulsa experience when they come down there," he said. "The amount of money that I’ve invested in installing those murals is well into the six figures now, and it’s a very expensive thing to do. I think when you start doing something like this, you have a responsibility to continue to invest, and the cost of ownership is just part of the process.”
While the rain is delaying the completion of both Leon and another piece honoring other Oklahoma music greats, Grooper expects the new murals to be complete in the coming days.
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