New Macfarlane Park Mural Highlights Tampa Boxing Legends

Tampa FL

12 January, 2022

8:52 PM

Description

TAMPA, FL — Macfarlane Park in West Tampa is looking a little brighter thanks to mural artists Edgar Sanchez Cumbas and Jay Giroux. The mural, titled "Measured," is located on the eastern and western facades of the racquetball courts and highlights the many sports played at the historic Tampa park at 1700 N. MacDill Ave., Tampa, such as basketball and tennis. It also prominently features boxing, a sport that was popular in West Tampa for many years. Among the sports stars portrayed on the mural are boxing legends Dr. Fernando "Ferdie" Pacheco and Joe "King" Roman. Pacheco was a physician and corner man for world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and Roman, Puerto Rico's first world heavyweight championship challenger and Tampa resident, is featured in the mural as a symbol of motivation, inspiration and determination. "'Measured' strives to convey the message that success is not defined by winning, but how life's unexpected paths bloom when one never gives up," said Giroux. The existing mural at the park, "Kaleidoscope: A Heritage of Color," was also restored by the artists. It was created in 2005 by Cumbas and Guillermo Portieles who wanted to represent the hard-working residents in West Tampa "who embraced a thriving social and cultural community through their broad mix of nationalities and religions." From this concept and with input from community leaders and historians, the mural "Kaleidoscope: a Heritage of Color" was commissioned by the city of Tampa Public Art Program. It features five influential figures in Tampa's history including Robert "Bob" Saunders, civil rights activist and NAACP Florida director from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s; Luisa Capetillo, a women's rights activist in the early 1900s; Jose Marti, leader of Cuban independence from Spain, and a poet and writer in the late 1800s, Col. Hugh Macfarlane, the Scottish immigrant and attorney who founded West Tampa in 1892; and Fernando Figueredo, the first mayor of West Tampa in 1895. Macfarlane donated the 40 acres for the park in 1909, and the park was completed the same year — on April 25, 1909. A historical marker stands at the end of the main entrance road in honor of Macfarlane, according to Tampa Historical, an interactive web exhibit created and maintained by students and faculty at the University of South Florida. Newly paved roads and streetcars led to the park, bringing thousands of people to the park on any given Sunday. Macfarlane Park featured a pavilion built upon an artificial mound overlooking the 40 acres donated by Macfarlane, where there were musical performances, dancing and social gatherings. The landscaped park also included merry-go-rounds and swings along with picnic areas. A baseball field and golf course were among the sport facilities on the property. Amidst the changes in West Tampa over the years, Macfarlane Park has remained a constant, with the pavilion still standing on top of the hill. Tampa HistoricalArchived photos show the original pavilion and gated entryway to Macfarland Park.