Joey Salamon, left, and Ivan Montoya work on their “Fast Break” mural on the Hurley Park basketball court on Tuesday. The two were chosen in 2021 to add the mosaic design on the south Marquette court. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

MARQUETTE — For some, basketball will basically be just putting the ball in the hoop.

For future players at the Hurley Park basketball court in the city of Marquette, it wouldn’t be surprising if, on their way to the hoop, they looked down at their feet once in a while.

The Detroit area’s artistic duo of Ivan Montoya and Joey Salamon have started work painting their colorful “Fast Break” mural on the court as part of the Queen City Courts project.

According to the city of Marquette website, the project will introduce art onto the court’s playing surface to help increase park usage and attract players of ages and levels of experience, from families to students and adults.

The Marquette Public Art Commission selected the design in the spring of 2021. That year the city put out a Request for Qualifications seeking artists of teams or artists for the project, and received 52 submissions nationwide.

The artists are being paid $15,000 for the project, with the project funded by the Marquette Public Art Fund. Specifically, the fund covered new asphalt, sealant, line work and the mural, and will cover future maintenance.

Montoya is a full-time painter and muralist who teaches at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. He and Salamon share studio space in Detroit in the Fisher Building.

“This is our first project where we’re collaborating, and it’s been really fun so far,” said Montoya, who lives in Detroit but originally is from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Montoya noted that he heard of the project through an acquaintance at Northern Michigan University.

“We thought it’d been opportunity to come and explore Marquette,” he said.

The two started painting the mural on Monday, and are working to finish by Sunday.

The mural combines the two men’s artistic styles.

“My work is very organic,” said Montoya, who was painting a watermelon-hued floral element of the design on Tuesday. “I’m inspired by nature and my heritage, and Joey is very graphic and colorful. So, we’re kind of bringing those two together.”

For example, Montoya said the floral part is a nod to nature and how it intertwines with Marquette.

“We have the colors and the geometrics to speak to the vibrancy of culture around here,” he said.

The mural will involve six colors — none of which are orange.

“They’ll be able to see the basketball,” Montoya said.

Salamon, who lives in Oak Park, said he creates a lot of abstracts, geometric and 3-D work.

“Mainly murals,” he said. “Very playful.”

Salamon said that for the most part, the two are outlining the design and then filling in the spaces with paint.

There had been some opposition in the community to having a mural painting on a basketball court, but Marquette City Commissioner Sally Davis said at a May 2021 commission meeting that the Marquette Public Art Commission researched the project, learning that a mural increases the use of a basketball court.

“This is a park that I walk by quite frequently, pretty much every day, and I am especially pleased that the court is going to be redone,” Davis said at the time.

Tiina Morin, city of Marquette arts and culture manager, said in an email, “This mural really completes the revitalization of Hurley Park playground. Watching the design emerge this week is thrilling. It’s the icing on the cake.

“Our aim was to integrate public art into the day-to-day life of the community and create a distinct place that celebrates public art but also fosters a love for outdoor play. This mural has a real vibrancy and energy that will do just that.

Joey and Ivan are highly respected artists in their field and bring a unique voice to Marquette’s mural scene. Not only are we creating a cool park but a relationship with the artists and our two cities, Detroit and Marquette.”

Morin said the mural will be included in the city’s public art collection, which includes the Father Marquette statue. It will also be placed on an annual maintenance schedule to ensure “vibrancy” of the original work.