by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Forty-two down, how many more to go?
When the new Firehouse Subs opens downtown next week (the owners say Tuesday), patrons will be drawn almost immediately to the mural that covers most of the front windows. Those who know Jacksonville history will recognize that it’s a depiction of the Great Fire of 1901.
What most won’t recognize, however, is the name etched in the lower right corner. But, they should.
Joe “The Art Brush” Puskas has done all 42 murals statewide for Firehouse Subs. Counting the new shop in the Police and Fire Pension building, Puskas has done the artwork for all 16 Jacksonville-area Firehouses. However, this one’s a little different. Unlike the others which are either hung traditionally or painted directly onto the wall, the downtown Firehouse mural is hung from the ceiling of the shop. Because none of the other walls are big enough, and the storefront is mostly glass, the 6-by-12 foot mural is suspended from the ceiling.
And, like all 41 other Firehouse murals, this one is a unique piece of art with a common theme.
“Every one has a fire theme or is fire related,” said Puskas, who did his first Firehouse mural in 1994 and is currently working on a couple others for shops in Pensacola and Augusta, Ga.
Puskas said the mural took about 80 hours to complete, but much longer than that to prepare. He spent hours poring over a variety of mediums before putting brush to canvas.
“I went to the Cummer Museum when they had the big display on the Great Fire,” said Puskas. “I watched movies and looked at lots of old photos and came up with my own idea.”
Like all his other murals, it’s not an exact replica. The Great Fire mural is a conglomeration of several scenes combined to create one piece of art. While Puskas may not need much coaching on art, he does consult an expert when it comes time to add in the firefighters and equipment for all his works. Part-owner Chris Sorensen is a former firefighter and Puskas will often confer with him to make sure the depictions are lifelike and accurate.
Other times, Puskas exercises much more artistic license. The Firehouse in Tallahassee is a prime example.
“I have Chief Osceola [the Florida State Seminoles mascot] roasting a [University of Florida] Gator on a spit,” said Puskas.
In addition to working for Firehouse, Puskas also does other commercial work and some residential jobs. For the Firehouse pieces, he works out of their corporate offices in Mandarin. All the other work is done on-site.