MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala -- Mr. Ian Mangum, a reservation specialist at the Family Camp on Maxwell Air Force Base, has been painting murals in Maxwell’s Gunter Gym boxing room for the last two months.
When asked why he was willing to spend so much time painting the murals, Mangum said that the Air Force has been a part of his life for a long time. His dad was a Major in the Air Force, and retired here at Maxwell. After completion of a new boxing room, he saw this as an opportunity to give back to an organization and base he has grown to love so much.
Mangum’s passion for artwork surfaced when he was in high school and joined an art program that sparked his interest.
“I wasn’t really artistic, or interested, until I got into the program,” Mangum said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a scenic designer, and I really haven’t looked back since.”
He started working on Maxwell in 2008 as a lifeguard at both base pools before leaving to finish his Master’s Degree in Scenic Design in Las Vegas. While he was at school, he learned how to design sets for television, films, amusement parks and many other design platforms.
“I came back after earning my degree and returned to my base job until I get my portfolio established,” he said. “I come out here on and off when I have the free time to paint. Sometimes I lose myself in painting and don’t realize how long I am here for.”
His artwork is a collaboration of iconic boxers from past to present, along with the Air Force logo. From start to finish, Mangum has put in more than 100 hours of work into his murals.