Chatom mural brings local color to Alabama highway

This story is part of a partnership between the Montgomery Advertiser and the Living Democracy program at Auburn University. Now in its 13th year, the program disperses students across rural Alabama to spend 10 weeks learning more about the inner workings of the community and writing about what they observe.

CHATOM ? Splashes of color on a new mural welcome those traveling into Chatom on Highway 56. The mural showcases what Chatom cherishes, from the bright colors of azaleas to local landmarks and history.

The Chatom mural is near completion and will be officially celebrated soon. The mural can be seen on the street-facing wall of a building that once housed a sewing factory, the Cam Manufacturing company.

“I am grateful we are able to provide the beautiful mural for everyone in our community, young and old, as well as visitors to peruse and see the variety of resources our magnificent little town has to offer,” said Tina Jones, a Chatom City Council member.

Candace Johnson, the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development’s director of tourism and community development, said Chatom’s mural may soon join dozens of others across Alabama featured on https://www.alabamamuraltrail.org.

Johnson said murals and other public art can have a significant economic impact by attracting tourists and potential new residents and business investors. “Murals (public art) build a sense of community that drives travelers and locals alike to visit locations off the well-known tourist routes,” she said.

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Chatom’s nearly completed mural is not the first mural to brighten Highway 56. An earlier mural, “Scenes of Chatom, Past and Present," was completed in November 2019. After just four years, the building that displayed the first mural was damaged beyond repair during a storm.

The colorful mural was missed by the town. A plan was soon put in place to begin conceptualizing and painting a mural that would be even easier to view and enjoy from the road.

The mural committee and town officials were excited for an opportunity to make the most of the new design. “By the second time around, we had a better idea of what we needed and wanted for the mural,” said Carolyn Reynolds, former community event coordinator.

The new design focuses more on what Chatom currently offers while highlighting historical elements used in the first mural. Images of the original Washington County courthouse and oxen pulling logs representing the local forestry industry are featured.

The design is the creation of Joe Wilson, https://www.facebook.com/Muralsbyjoewilson/ an artist from Wilmer, Alabama, who specializes in murals. Wilson designed and painted both the former and current murals for Chatom. His work can be found in schools, businesses, churches and museums throughout the Gulf Coast region.

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He visited Chatom to find inspiration and did research on historical records at the library and the courthouse. “We went and got a golf cart,” Reynolds recalled. “We rode around the golf course, and I showed him the difference between the two pine trees in Chatom: longleaf and loblolly.” He ended up incorporating the longleaf pine tree into the mural.

During his visit, Wilson took photos he would later combine to create one big design that would then be transferred onto the wall. Wilson spent on average three to four days a week working on this project, taking about two and a half months to complete the project.

During the process, Wilson grew fond of the town. “It had a lot to do with the people. I had people who would come by and stop just to say, 'Hey, that looks great!' and talk to me. That will inspire you,” he said.

In the future, the town hopes to convert the space in front of the mural into a recreational park for visitors to enjoy. Benches will be placed throughout the area for people to sit and socialize.

The Alabama Mural Trail, a project of The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development in partnership with Alabama Association of RC&Ds, Ala-Tom RC&D, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, the Alabama Tourism Department, and Alabama Black Belt Adventures, continues to expand as communities realize the impact a touch of colorful art can bring.

Hayley Platt, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, is living and learning this summer in her hometown of Chatom, Alabama, as a Jean O'Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Chatom mural brings local color to Alabama highway