Thaddaeus Arvie's brush speaks for itself.
He went from painting Martin Luther King Jr to painting rivals' high school match-ups. Recently, his mural of Buffalo Bills' Keon Coleman has caught the attention of Opelousas residents.
Arvie's strokes are spread between Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia. His paintbrush was his way of connecting with others. The money wasn't the best starting out, but the people were enough to make him feel appreciated.
“I made a mark on the community by honoring heroes,“ said Arvie. “Doing work like this is more valuable to me than getting paid for it.”
The more people spotted his craft, the more work he could do in the community.
“I have done those things in the past and I feel like they have trusted me,” said Arvie. “I'm happy that they had a local guy from the community to do the work instead of a random guy.
Arvie hopes his impact leaves a lasting impression on the community. Hoping his impact could lead to other artists putting their finishing touches on a reflection on him.
“I think that would be an honor for me,” said Arvie. "If someone paints a picture of me for inspiration would be great.”
