BOISE, Idaho — Boise artist Bobby Gayton has created a vibrant mural downtown to honor his late friend and community leader JJ Saldana, who passed away suddenly last year.
- "Flowers for JJ" pays tribute to Saldana's impact on the local Latino community and his giving spirit.
- The memorial is located behind the Key Bank building in Downtown Boise.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
"It’s been 8 or 9 months in the making here," says mural artist Bobby Gayton.
Local Boise artist Bobby Gayton is paying tribute to his longtime friend and beloved community leader, JJ Saldana, with his latest downtown mural.
"It’s a very emotional place for people who knew JJ," says Gayton.
Saldana, who passed suddenly last September, was well known in the Treasure Valley for his passion and leadership in the local Latino community.
"JJ was truly a public servant. He loved this city, and Boise loved him right back," Boise Mayor McLean told Idaho News 6 last year at Saldana’s memorial service.
Now, Gayton is helping others honor their friend with "Flowers for JJ," a colorful mural paying homage to Saldana's giving spirit that will live on in the heart of Boise.
"As you can see, it’s a very colorful mural because JJ was a colorful person. He had a very giving spirit, and so the mural represents a lot of that — a lot of the type of person that he was," says Gayton.
"We depicted JJ as a superhero because that’s what he was to a lot of us. He was very superhero-like. He was big on representation in our community — about role models, about mentoring. Up above, you have a note that says, 'Sí se puede, the sky is the limit,' so that's just one of those encouraging things," Gayton added.
