By Jack Krost

Amazing Murals Created by a Maze of Community Volunteers

Imagine trying to get more than 250 people to work together to paint a large mural.

And they're all different ages, from young children to grandparents.

And they're coming and going at different times.

And it's in the middle of summer and very hot.

And you've got to get supplies ready, coordinate donations from various businesses and arrange who should paint where, in what colors, and perhaps patch up a few painting missteps here and there -- and have fun doing it.

That's essentially what happened, when the first of several colorful murals in Oakhurst's business district came into being, a mural that's marking its 10-year anniversary.
The mural, on the side of what's now the Creative Spirit gallery on East Lake Drive, was put together in one very frenetic week back in July of 1993. It's known as the "Decatur: My Neighborhood" mural, for the banner depicted in it.

"For one crazy week that summer, something absolutely wonderful happened," says Suzanne Snelling, a local artist and teacher who was the project's director. "We had some people sign up in advance to work on the mural, and other people just stopped by and chipped in. It was absolutely unwieldy to work with that many people. But all involved seemed to really enjoy themselves. It was great!"

The result was not only a big splash of color off Harmony Park, but a budding sense of community pride that grew over time.Then, in May of 2001, Oakhurst really became immersed in art. And following the pattern of the first mural, it also was immersed in community volunteers. The nonprofit, Atlanta-based Paint the Town foundation invited anyone interested to join in a paint-fest one busy Saturday. The effort yielded three more murals, including "Kids at Play" the large mural that shows children frolicking in a field, which is on the side of the adjacent One Step at a Time athletic shoe store; "The Trolley," a portrayal of a 1940s-era trolley, on the side of what's now Billy Goats Cantina; and a painting of -- what else? - an oak tree, on the side of what's now Cinema Shack.

"This was our first open mural project, in which the community was involved," says Alf Richardson, executive director of Paint the Town. "Afterward, we did several more, and we hope to keep going." The artists involved were Robert Felker, Andy Harmon and Amy Hitch.

HOW IT STARTED

It all started back in the early 1990s, when the Atlanta Project, launched by the Carter Center, was trying to spur economic growth and community involvement in a variety of Atlanta neighborhoods, including south Decatur. An offshoot of that effort was known as "Arts in the Atlanta Project." It started by launching several dance classes in the Decatur area and other classes in other parts of Atlanta.

But Snelling thought Oakhurst was ripe for a mural as well. So she proposed the project and was awarded a $2000 grant. Durga Jokl-Brough joined as a fellow coordinator and technical adviser. What to show in the mural? That was very much a community effort as well. Snelling initiated a design competition, with several local businesses serving as collection points for contest drawings. "We had so many good ideas, we just decided to use them all. Everything that was in the contest drawings was incorporated in that mural," Snelling says. Decatur: My Neighborhood is a composite of 13 entries.

At the time, the 48-foot by 11-foot wall was on the side of the Redding Pharmacy. The owner gave his permission for the mural to be painted there but insisted on keeping his pharmacy sign, which is why you can still see a remnant of it above the mural.

THE BIG WEEK

Preparing for the hordes of volunteers took several days. Snelling made a large outline of the design on the wall, so that volunteers could "paint by numbers." A sign advertised the mural project was "coming soon." Then came the big week. The former Big H Food Store donated ice every day to the thirsty artists. Intown Autocare, across the street, stored all the equipment each night. "We never had a time when someone wasn't there, helping," Snelling says. At one point, she had a large group of children lined up, working on the mural, when two van loads of kids from the Samuel Jones Boys and Girls Club showed up that she hadn't expected. "And I thought, 'Oh my God. How on Earth will I get all these people going?' "

But it worked. The mural, in bright, bold colors, features a potpourri of folks behind the banner, alongside various local buildings and day lilies, Decatur's official flower, as a MARTA bus drives by. Many, but not all, of those who participated are listed in a plaque on the lower left of the mural. A year later, the mural got some high-level recognition, when actress Jane Alexander, serving as chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, came for a ceremony as part of an arts tour of Atlanta.

PAINT THE TOWN

The same principle of getting volunteers to paint within a grid outline was involved in the other Oakhurst murals. Paint the Town is dedicated to teaching about art and creating educational murals. It has put up murals at College Heights Elementary School and other schools, the Cobb County Children's Center, the police station and the former railroad station in Lithonia, Goodwill Industries, and Atlanta's Veterans Affairs Hospital. For the Oakhurst mural, more than 100 people were involved in painting by numbers, including once again the industrious kids at Samuel Jones. Local businesses donated funds for the paint, although Paint the Town put in a large share of the cost itself.

There actually was some controversy about Kids at Play when it was completed. Some people felt it looked like an African-American girl was being chased by a dog.
"Of course, that was never our intent," Richardson says. "We wanted to show kids of different races playing together." But to avoid any misperceptions, afterward the artists added a ball at one of the children's feet and painted another child in the lower left. "After we took care of that, everyone liked it and appreciated it. All in all, it came off very well in the long run," he adds.

So as you can see, quite a few folks set the tone for community involvement in a very colorful business district. The next time you pass by the murals, remember the many people who took paint brushes in hand.