Look around Starkville and it’s clear to see that murals are becoming an increasingly popular way to add flair to the city.
Several new murals have popped up around the city in recent months, including on the side of the future Gondolier Italian and Pizza restaurant on Russell Street, on a retaining wall by First United Methodist Church on Lampkin Street, the side of the Spruill Property Management office building and notably on the side of Restaurant Tyler.
The mural on the side of Restaurant Tyler, which was temporary art put up in pieces like a billboard, rather than a traditional painted mural, is starting to peel, and is expected to be removed soon. However, the mural, which focuses on Mississippi State University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs with the message “Together we are Stronger,” helped spark the mural movement around the city.
“I think it was a real catalyst for us at a time when we had a lot of good things going on, and it let us build on that momentum,” said Mayor Lynn Spruill. “I think it also served to show the excitement dynamic that goes with having art — because I consider that art — around town. I think it helped push for more of the murals, so there’s a level of energy and excitement that goes with that.”
Mississippi State Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement Leah Beasley said the poster on the side of Restaurant Tyler originally stemmed from an idea to promote men’s and women’s basketball before their seasons began. However, she said the project has generated great feedback, from the “powerful” reactions of those who helped put it up, to the high interest it gets from passers-by who use it for photo opportunities.
“We would like to continue the ‘Together we are Stronger’ campaign in conjunction with the city, university and athletics,” she said. “We’re still working ideas out. … We want to take the time to get feedback, whether it’s one large campaign or we break it up into seasons.”
Lampkin Street
The Lampkin Street mural, which was completed earlier in the spring, is the first on a public space in the city, rather than the side of a business or some other privately owned property, Spruill said.
Joseph MacGowan, a local artist, painted the mural on Lampkin Street in the spring. The mural includes a flower and other designs with vibrant pinks, blues, greens and other colors.
Other locations, such as the breezeway on Main Street by Starkville Cafe, and the wall along Jackson Street by Cadence Bank, are now being considered for murals.
“I think it brings a color and brightness and engagement with the community in ways we haven’t done before,” Spruill said. “It just sends a message that people are interested in having a well-rounded community to live in. That includes arts, music, quality of life in bike trails — all of those things.”
Starkville Area Arts Council Executive Director John Bateman said the Lampkin Street mural, and art in other public places, represents a significant amount of cooperation.
“Art on a publicly owned space involves the coming together of funders, artists, and the taxpayers, or the government organization that owns the right to that space,” he said. “Everything has to line up. What’s amazing about that is when you see a piece of public art in publicly owned space, it represents probably the ultimate collaboration.
“This mural (on Lampkin Street), when we presented the ideas, the support we got for doing something was a lot more enthusiastic and a much quicker process than we anticipated,” he added.
Bateman said the Lampkin Street mural was funded through a combination of SAAC money, donations from the Del Renden Foundation, a gift from an anonymous donor, and supplies from Bell Building Supply.
He said plans are in the works to continue with more murals along the length of the retaining wall.
Bateman also said that, for future projects, he’d like to have open calls for submissions for artists, to possibly reach out to as broad a swath of the artist community as possible.
Stromboli’s
While other murals have been going up around Starkville, one particularly well-known one is coming down. Demolition is in progress on the former service station near Stromboli’s on University Drive.
Since 2014, the service station has sported a mural of a fox with blue tubes stretching out of it against a vivid red background. However, Tim Turman, owner of Stromboli’s and the service station, said he recently had to begin a demolition due to the station’s poor structural integrity.
“I looked at a lot of ways of trying to save the front part of it, but it was painted on wooden siding,” Turman said. “In trying to remove it, it had deteriorated to the point that I couldn’t save the whole thing. I did save some small pieces that I plan on incorporating into my business.”
Turman said the same artist painted another piece of art on some plywood that he plans to move to a more prominent spot for the restaurant. He added he may look into having another mural done in the future.
Still, Turman said the mural drew a lot of attention, and he’s happy to see more coming up around Starkville.
“I do think it’s great to see, especially the one they did over on the side of the Italian restaurant (on Russell Street),” he said. “That’s neat. I like it. It’s a good attraction, and I think it’s good for the city.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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