When I was painting this mural at Our Lady of Mr. Carmel last year, January – May 2022, sometimes the large hall was rented out on days I was working. One such group was the extra cast members of Blue Bloods. Throughout this particular day, about 30 or so people quietly filtered in and out of the room but mostly they sat around reading or typing on their computers.
One particular actor came over to where I was painting and asked if she could take a picture. She had never seen such a large body of figurative work being painted. “Of course,” I said. This entire group of actors were so very quiet and respectful I just loved having them in there.
No doubt this is where the producers of Blue Bloods heard about the mural. In April I received a call from the Monsignor of the church and he gave me a number to call telling me that the producers at CBS needed me to sign a consent form before they filmed in front of it.
On May 19, 2023 at 9pm eastern time my family and I, all gathered around the tv. The show is an hour, but after half the show was over I thought, “Did I miss the scene? Where was the mural?” Then near the end of the show, like a burst of fireworks, my mural was lit up across the entire tv in the final scenes!
It went on for what seemed like an eternity. They zoomed in on Tom Selleck who was sitting between the old section and the middle section of the mural. It was so amazing to see my painting in the background scene where some of America’s most talented actors were performing. To know that people all over the country who were watching this and seeing my artwork was a thrill of a lifetime.
The only downside was that I could not get my name in the credits as the mural painter. Meanwhile, I’ll keep painting!
Theresa Kasun 