A Splash of Color: Alum Jubenal Rodriguez’s Mural Work is Enlivening the Lakeshore
Posted July 22, 2021 in Alumni, Illustration
KCAD alum Jubenal Rodriguez ('14, BFA Illustration) has been staying busy since graduating, from painting murals to freelance graphic design work.
KCAD alum Jubenal Rodriguez puts the finishing touches on a mural created on the side
of a shipping container in Pere Marquette Park on the Lake Michigan shoreline (image
courtesy of Jubenal Rodriguez)
By working a wide array of creative jobs, Rodriguez has established himself freelancing
in both fields and continues to grow through being versatile. He created the logo
for the candy shop Sugar Rush Dulce as well as the new badge for West Michigan Soccer
Training, showing his adaptable strengths in color and custom typography extend to
graphic design and branding.
Logos Rodriguez created for Sugar Rush candy shop and the West Michigan Soccer Training
organization (images courtesy of Jubenal Rodriguez)
Yet, mural work is his ultimate passion. When asked about his process, Rodriguez says
“I love bouncing off ideas with my clients. During brainstorming stages, we not only
bond together but this allows for a better understanding of what their vision is.
This makes it easier for when I start sketching and picking the right color palette.
After the design concept is complete I then bring it to life in Illustrator. What
drives the process is knowing that people will vibe with the mural at the end.”
He strives to have a clean and inclusive design style. “When dealing with subject matter, it's very important to make sure that my ideas feed all types of cultures, ages and moods.”
This is evident in his body of mural work, including his most recent work for The Deck, a beachfront restaurant at Pere Marquette Park on Lake Michigan which has expanded its beach beer garden. The mural features the large, bold and curving custom “Muskegon” lettering in lush green and outlined in cream floating over a sun with lively red and orange rays abounding in the background of the mural. The entire mural radiates summer and the joy of getting out to the beach to soak in some rays after a long winter and a long year. The mural seems to capture the collective excitement of a community coming out of the pandemic’s shadow and into a new season of freedom and fun.
(images courtesy of Jubenal Rodriguez)
Among Rodriguez's other mural work is the “Keep Muskegon Funky” mural for the Rake
Beer Project of downtown Muskegon, located outside in their Beer Garden. The piece
features a bright color palette with flourishing florals in reds, yellows, and pinks
against a background of blues with the flowing custom “Keep Muskegon Funky” lettering
weaving between the graphics.
(images courtesy of Jubenal Rodriguez)
Another of his murals on corner of Third and Monroe in Muskegon shows four African
American youth looking upward with heads held high as they seem to ponder how their
futures will shape the world. The work features a signature Jubenal Rodriguez color
palette of flourishing, bright, and vibrant colors which make the mural come alive
with excitement and anticipation to anyone viewing it.
(images courtesy of Jubenal Rodriguez)
Ultimately, Rodriguez hopes his murals bring joy and happiness to viewers and wants to inspire the next generation to use their own creativity.
Rodriguez has more mural projects on the horizon, each with its own unique challenge, but in everything he creates, his goal remains the same:
“I want to keep making anyone that sees my work feel happy.”
See more of Jubenal Rodriguez's work on his Facebook page.