Artist Rich Simmons painted this mural in April 2019 while he was in Arkansas working with Crystal Bridges on its show "Men of Steel, Women of Wonder." It took over 80 hours of work to create this 50-foot masterpiece. During the process, Rich invited the Arkansas Arts Academy students down to meet him, help paint parts of the mural, and discuss art.
His inspiration for this piece came from the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci on May 2nd, 2019. He created the reflection of Mona Lisa in the glasses as homage to Leonardo and his legacy. Rich, who currently lives in England, says he wants to come back and give his mural a "spa day."