Local 21 Illinois Member Offers Service, Talent During Winter Months

Local 21 IL member Michael Yarbrough with his artwork.

Members of Local 21 Illinois’ Apprenticeship and Training Program have one of their own, Michael Yarbrough, to thank for enhancing their work environment like no other.

During his apprenticeship, Yarbrough offered to paint a mural on the walls of the Local’s training facility in Chicago, Illinois when work was slow.

Working completely freehand, Yarbrough took a blank block wall and created a memorable Chicago skyline and waterfront for the enjoyment of apprentices and instructors alike. Yarbrough went on to paint a second mural featuring an eagle’s wingspan surrounding a trowel with the slogan, “The best hands in the business”. Finally, to keep the trainees in the holiday spirit, Yarbrough created a lawn ornament for the training facility of a “block” Christmas tree surrounded by “brick” presents. Although he spread his work out over a few months, the project took Yarbrough approximately 65 hours to complete.

Yarbrough’s eagle emblem.

All of his life, Yarbrough has had an interest in painting. He has done some work overseas, participated in a project at a local children’s hospital, painted similar murals throughout a local car wash, sketched logos on trucks for local contractors, and has even created the same type of Chicago skyline artwork at his mother-in-law’s house. When asked how much he devotes to his talent, he replied, “Put it this way; when I wasn’t laying brick, I was painting.”

Yarbrough is just one of the many versatile members of Local 21 and of the Union. It takes a group of creative and artistic individuals to put out a quality workforce that meets the demands of today’s market. Individuals like Michael Yarbrough.