A new mural in Hyattsville aims to counter negative images of young black men.
Called “Water Balloon Dance,” the mural by D.C.-based Daniel Katz-Hernandez, a self-taught artist who graduated from Gallaudet University, shows three young black men playfully throwing water balloons at each other.
“It was my hope that the image of play, laughter, and camaraderie would assist in expanding the positive image of black young men and community,” Katz-Hernandez wrote on Instagram.
The 27-foot-by-15-foot mural was painted in an alley at 4802 Rhode Island Ave., near Streetcar 82 Brewing Co and Artist & Craftsman Supply.
Raised in Gaithersburg, Katz-Hernandez’s previous work includes a colorful mural in the bathroom at Streetcar 82.
Another new mural by Hyattsville artist Robert ‘Rohaun ‘ Stephenson around the corner features local scenes inside an old-fashioned postcard that says “Greetings From Hyattsville” and can be seen from Baltimore Ave., driving north into downtown Hyattsville.