Meet the Artist Behind the Mural You Pass Every Day in Fall River

Fall River travelers driving by the intersection of Second and Spring streets are greeted every day by the iconic faces of John Lennon, Einstein and more, thanks to a local artist who dedicates his life to artful expression.

Ed Capeau of Taunton is looking to leave his mark on the world and the landscape of Fall River gets to benefit from his incredible talent.

How Ed Capeau Became a Muralist

Ed Capeau grew up in Brockton and has been an artist his entire life.

“I liked to draw as a kid,” he said. “I didn’t have confidence in painting when I was younger, but when I tried it out, I found that I could paint much faster than I could draw, and I could paint more detail. I fell in love with it.”

Capeau would grow up to start his own painting business and quickly gained a reputation for custom paint jobs.

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“I built a clientele and started doing murals for them,” he said, which led to the large canvas on Second Street.

Celebrity Mural on Second Street, Fall River

Capeau was a subcontractor for a painting company in that building, and the original plan was to paint Einstein and Marilyn Monroe, but the mural became a community-inspired project.

“An article was written, asking (the readers) who should be next on the wall,” shared Capeau. “The people of Fall River voted and it was a tie between John Lennon and Lucille Ball, so I decided to do both.”

The owner of the building was a huge John Wayne fan, so Capeau added Wayne to the mix, and Capeau finished it off by adding Mother Teresa for free.

Leaving His Mark

“I want to leave my mark on the world,” Capeau said. “I want people to get to know my art, and I do it all for my son.”

Capeau hopes to leave a legacy behind that brings joy to anyone and everyone who comes across his murals or purchases his artwork.

Capeau’s Current Projects

There is no rest for this motivated artist. Capeau just finished his latest creation at Apollo Safety on Walnut Street, which depicts the Industrial Revolution on a wall inside.

He will soon begin a mural on the outside that depicts the interesting history of the building.

“I was told they dug up the building and found a skeleton of an American Indian,” he said. “The mural will be about that and the history of Fall River.”

Also, keep an eye on the iconic Ma’s Donuts mural in New Bedford. Capeau is in talks with the owners on potentially redoing it to illustrate their new persona of Grandma’s Donuts.

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The SouthCoast is filled with talented people, and it’s people like Ed Capeau who keep the rich history alive and well.

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See How Much This Fall River Intersection Has Changed in a Decade

Well this is surely a blast from the past. While exploring Google Maps' street view feature recently, I came across an old still from 2012 mixed in with the more recent ones. It showed an almost decade-old look at Fall River's New Harbour Mall, which is now dead and has been replaced by the stores at the SouthCoast Marketplace. The more I looked around the intersection on William Canning Boulevard, the more I began to see remnants of the past, some that may now be long-forgotten for some. This Fall River intersection has changed so much in the past near-decade, but if you're needing a little look in the rearview to see how far it's come, check out some of the following stills.

Filed Under: artist behind celebrity mural fall river, Ed Capeau, Fall River, fun 107 morning show, murals in fall river, taunton

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