Brunchin’ Around Town

B runchin ' AROUND TOWN by Dakota Parks

If there is one thing people missed the most from quarantine, it’s

probably brunch. A few weeks into isolation and people were flooding the Internet about bottomless mimosas and soccer

ball-sized waffles. Brunch is not just an excuse to day drink with your friends, but it’s also an excuse to eat copious amounts of breakfast foods at non-breakfast hours. Pensacola has a bustling brunch community from drag brunch to jazz brunch to cozy spots that you can roll into still wearing your pajamas. We gathered some of our favorite picks in town: happy brunching!

The Vineyard

Located in the Historic Sacred Heart Hospital on 12th Avenue, The Vineyard offers a Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11 am-2 pm. Every other Saturday they offer a drag brunch with live drag shows on their outdoor patio. Nothing is better than brunch outside, an Irish coffee topped with whipped cream and a show! A fan favorite is the French toast with thick slices of baguette bread battered and griddled then topped with cinnamon drizzle and powdered sugar— served with a side of fruit and maple syrup. Add a side of Southern gouda grits and a mimosa with cranberry juice for a perfect combo of sweet and savory.

Five Sister’s Blues Café

Tucked into the musically renowned Belmont-Devilliers neighborhood, 5 Sisters has a classic Sunday jazz brunch from 10 am-4 pm featuring live bands. While they await the safe return of the live bands put on pause for social distancing, guests can still be serenaded by jazz favorites playing through the restaurant. A menu rich with Southern comfort foods, the chicken & waffles is a classic with a crispy chicken breast on top of a waffle, served with maple syrup. If you’re looking for a savory dish, the smothered chicken biscuit is served up with fried chicken tenders over a buttermilk biscuit smothered in house-made sausage gravy and finished with two poached eggs.

Skopelos at New World

The Sunday brunch from 10 am-2 pm with Chef Gus Silivos is open and donning an updated menu. Along with indoor tables, the dog-friendly garden courtyard is the perfect quiet spot along Palafox Street for a relaxing bite to eat. The menu includes customer favorites like the stuffed brioche French toast and grouper margarita, alongside a bunch of instant classics like bacon charcuterie, Greek frittatas, vegan Impossible country fried "steak" & "eggs" and more. The popular “Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar” and bottomless mimosas are still flowing!

The Leisure Club Coffee & Brunch Bar

Quite possibly one of the longest running brunch hours in town, The Leisure Club’s Saturday and Sunday brunch runs from 8 am-4 pm, and just like the name says, it’s a very chill spot. No one is judging if you roll in wearing your PJs or stretchy pants. With vegan options, delicious drip coffees, fresh fruit smoothies and $10 bottomless mimosas and Bloody Mary’s, the menu has something for all of your friends to enjoy. Fan favorites include the everything bagel with smoked salmon, the avocado toast with diced tomatoes and a balsamic reduction and the vegan waffles.

The Fish House

Brunch overlooking the serene Pensacola Bay is a dreamy way to spend a Sunday afternoon. From fried grouper bites, calamari, crab cakes to the gulf shrimp cocktail and daily fish, The Fish House brunch from 11 am-2 pm is known for its seafood staples. They also feature a full brunch menu with sweet and savory options, $2 Bloody Mary drinks and $12 bottles of sparkling wine.

Don’t want to sit down for your brunch favorites?

Some people are hesitant to return to their favorite brunch spots because of COVID-19. All of the restaurants mentioned above also offer take-out and delivery with Waitr and GrubHub. When in doubt, check your local restaurants on Facebook for their up-todate hours and service.

BRAN DON VESSELS

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST BEHIND THE GEORGE FLOYD MURAL

by GINA CASTRO

photos by DEEP SOUTH VISUALS

Brandon Vessels has been an artist as long as he can remember. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and served in the National Guard. After leaving the military, he began his career as an artist in Key West, Florida where he met his wife on a snorkeling trip. The two moved to Pensacola and now have a baby together.

Pensacola took notice of Vessels’ artwork at the end of May when his mural of George Floyd on the Graffiti Bridge was defaced. Floyd is a black father who was murdered by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vessels painted the mural of Floyd a few days after Floyd’s murder. Shortly after the mural was completed, an unknown person splattered brown paint over the mural. The incident quickly spread all over social media and local news. People gathered at the bridge daily, and it became the spot for local Black Lives Matter protests. Vessels repainted the Floyd mural, added a mural of Tymar Crawford who was killed by the Pensacola Police Department, and multiple murals of historical black figures.

His artwork on the bridge erupted a whole movement in Pensacola and redefined the Graffiti Bridge. Downtown Crowd interviewed Vessels for a special edition of our monthly creative feature.

Let’s start with how you became an artist. What was the moment that you realized you wanted to be an artist?

I have always been an artist—since I was about old enough to hold a pencil. I always knew that's what I wanted to do. I never wanted to be an astronaut or a scientist or anything like that. My dream was to make art for a living. I kind of got away from that for many years while being in the military. I had a different mindset when I was in the military. I found myself after I got out of the military in 2013. In 2013, I started pushing toward my art. It helped me heal and see who I was again. It helped me get out of the mindset I was stuck in.

So, did you begin your career as an artist in Pensacola?

I already had a professional art career in Key West, Florida. I was selling paintings in a couple of galleries down there. I also painted live for music festivals. I got into Art Basel this year for mural work. That’s really when my spray painting kicked off. I picked up spray painting a couple of times before, but I didn’t take it quite that serious then. After Art Basel, I really progressed in spray painting and started pushing more into it.

One of the first times I saw your artwork was when you painted Salvador Dalí on the Graffiti Bridge. Is street art a passion of yours?

Absolutely. I really want to focus on street art. I still want to sell paintings and be in galleries and be an artist of that form, but I truly love giving to the public. Not everyone can afford one of my $5,000 paintings, but everyone can come see my art on a bridge or on a building. Dalí is one of the fathers of my art career. He just pushed me in so many ways to think outside of the box. Dali was a brilliant mind and inspired me.

Your mural of George Floyd on the Graffiti Bridge gained a lot of attention and even more when it was defaced. What motivated you to paint Floyd on the bridge in the first place?

It was Memorial Day night. I had just finished up painting an American flag in a soldier's hands with white gloves as being presented to the person who lost someone. I was tired, came home and I was sitting down relaxing. I saw this video of Floyd, and it disturbed me to the point that I couldn’t even sleep. I can’t understand how you can stand there and video it; I can’t understand how a police officer can’t have some compassion for these people begging to let this man breathe. It just disturbed me on every level. Being an artist, I knew I had to do something. That was really the only thing I thought I could do was go and paint something nice for the man. Bring awareness to his life and what's going on in our country. So, that very next morning, it was raining. It was like every sign in the universe was telling me to stay away, but I stayed out in the rain and painted his portrait.

When you finished painting it, what reaction were you expecting from the public?

Truly, I just thought it would be something nice to go do. Painting on that bridge is like a Mandela Effect. You do it one day, it’s gone the next. That’s what I expected. I expected it to be painted over. I didn’t expect it to be painted over the way it was painted over. Hate covered that up. I wasn’t going to let that be the last word. I intend to keep that up for the city. They obviously

want to see it. I had so many people reach out to me after the mural got covered. I had so many ask me to go back out there and paint it again. I had to. Not because I felt obligated but because I felt I needed to. That’s when the community made this a thing. We all came together when we saw the hate that tried to shove out our love. I got drawn into this whole movement. It birthed itself.

Have you ever been moved by the Black Lives Matter movement before? Absolutely. I’ve had many brothers along the way who have been discriminated against. I was in the military. I fought side by side with these men and women. We bleed the same blood when we are hurt. I feel very strongly for this movement. I see there is so much going on in our country. These people are being persecuted, and it's not right. Period.

Since your Floyd piece was defaced, people have been gathering at the bridge daily. Do you think your art has changed what the Graffiti Bridge means to Pensacola?

It brings me to tears to see the community go out there every day. I can’t express the level of gratitude I have for these people. They have come together to show love when everyone else has shown hate. It’s all because of a painting. That just touches my heart. I think there is going to be a shift in what's going on with the Graffiti Bridge. I think it will be used to memorialize events like this from now on. I believe that we have caused a big change here in Pensacola. Not only in Pensacola hopefully around the world we can be used as an example. People are still spraying what they want on the bridge. There is a new level of respect since the incident. They are not tagging over these memorials. I think that's absolutely beautiful because normally no matter what the picture is it could be Jesus, it could be a historical figure and people come out there and scrawl stuff all over it every night. I cannot believe that these paintings have made such an impact on our community.

You also painted historical figures, such as Tymar Crawford, Malcom X and Rosa Parks, in a similar style to Floyd’s portrait. Why?

I want to feature all of the historical African-American figures who have either lost their lives as martyrs or who have stood for a cause that is worthy. I feel like certain people should be immortalized, and the people who are on that bridge need to be immortalized.

How do you think being a part of this movement at Graffiti Bridge is going to impact your career as an artist?

Hopefully, it will make my voice louder. I would like to use that voice for good. I would like to go around the world making these messages. That’s my dream is to spread peace with art. Bring love and culture across the world. It's the only way our society will continue to grow. We are in the new renaissance, in my opinion.

What’s your next chapter? Are you working on an art project for Pensacola?

I’ve started it. I didn’t intend to start it, but overnight, they raised $1,800 for paint for me. That woke me up. I'm asking for $10,000. I want to approach our city council to make 10 murals across the city. I will donate my labor, and the $10,000 is a $1,000 budget for each mural to be completed. I want to do it on large buildings downtown. That way they can never be covered with hate ever again. I need possible business owners who are willing to donate walls. I want these people to be memorialized forever, and that’s my message. A better way to do that is to approach business owners and actually memorialize them forever on a building. I definitely want one mural to be George Floyd. He is the one who sparked this whole movement. I want there to be a list for the community to vote on. I don’t want it to be about me and my beliefs. I want it to be about bringing us together.

Vessels has since raised $2,700 toward this project. If you would like to donate, his Cashapp is $BrandonVessels. For more of his artwork, visit his Instagram @VesselsArtStudio.

YOUTH ART CLASSES

Glassblowing Classes • Age 8+ Classes offered Friday and Saturday Starting in July!

Saturday Morning Art Class

Yoga & Art for Kids | Age 6–12 Creating with Clay | Age 6–Adult Mixed Media Exploration | Age 6–Adult

Youth After-school Art Programs

Hands-on Art Making! Art Lab | Age 9–13 Art Kids | Age 4–8

Youth Art Day Camps

Offered on teacher work days and holidays! Columbus Holiday–Oct. 12th Veterans Holiday–Nov. 11th Thanksgiving Nov. 23rd–25th

YOUTH ART SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED! APPLY ONLINE

FirstCityArt.org ADULT ART CLASSES

Ceramic Classes • Age 16+ Beginner-Intermediate Pottery on the Wheel Handbuilding • Sculpture

Pins and Needles • Age 16+ Sewing for Beginners-Intermediate 6 Week Class Starting: Sept. 10th • Oct. 29th

Creative Painting • Age 18+ Mixed Media Workshop 6 Week Class Starting: Sept. 12th • Oct. 31st

Meditation and Art • Age 18+ Connect, Create, & Breathe! Sept. 25th, 5:30–7:30 Dec. 18th, 5:30–7:30

Announcing Fall Dates Soon for Stained Glass, Kiln Forming, and Flameworking Classes!

TAKE AND MAKE ART KITS! Rainbow Glass Fusing Kits come complete with a fun step by step guide, drawing warm-up, and everything you need to create a beautiful fused glass suncatcher at home. FCAC will fire your piece and it will be ready to hang in your window!

CERAMIC STUDIO RENTALS FCAC offers affordable studio rental rates and firing packages for makers.

14th Annual Pumpkin Patch this October! More Details Announced Soon

FirstCityArt.org (850) 429-1222

Wine Bar Wine Bar Murals Murals Pay Tribute Pay Tribute to Pensacola by Lilly Paradise

The Wine Bar, located on Palafox Street revealed a unique set of murals in honor all of the amazing aspects the area has to offer. Downtown Pensacola has been the place to celebrate any special occasion. These murals represent the colorful and meaningful moments that may have slipped the city’s memory. Each mural depicts an event or scene that is prominent to the city: Seafood Festival, Mardi Gras Parade, the Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Greek Festival, and the Blue Angels.

Homer Jolly is the master behind the art and has been living in Pensacola since 2000. His artistic vision began in New York as a designer for King Features Syndicate of the Hearst Corporation. Eventually, he worked his way up to Director of Advertising and Public relations for Hearst Entertainment. Throughout his career, Jolly has provided marketing design and illustrations to a wide variety of industries. Some of his clients include ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Hennessy, John Deer, Burger King, and WNBC New York. In 2014, Jolly was picked to be the lead designer on the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. He was a part of researching the blueprints for a mid-size attraction, laying out all of the habitats and buildings.

Because events like Gallery Night, Pensacola Beach Pride Weekend and the Foo Festival were canceled due to COVID-19, many businesses like the Wine Bar had to create strategies to draw in more customers. The Wine Bar made several renovations just before restaurants and bars were able to reopen.

Jolly explained how important it was to reveal these murals once businesses reopened. “We redid the whole inside while it was shut down, so we rushed into it and started redoing everything,” Jolly said. “When they announced restaurants to open back up, we were ready more than ever. They came in and redid all of the tables so they’re fresh and bright.” The vibrant colors in the art light up the surrounding area. Each design aesthetically compliments each other and stretches across the whole inside building.

The idea of the stick figures is to create emphasis on the surrounding scene, not the person. Jolly decided to create these stick figures to depict the beauty behind the people. It showcases Pensacola in a unique and artistic way. His motivation behind the murals was to attract people to the restaurant and spark conversation about the cheerful events in Pensacola. The murals showcase many events like the Seafood Festival, which is three day event in September. “We wanted to celebrate Palafox,” Jolly said. “We also wanted to make it whimsical and remind people of what Pensacola has to offer.” Out of all of the murals, Jolly talks about why the Blue Angels flying over Pensacola is his favorite piece. “My favorite canvas was the Blue Angels because it shows the Saenger Theater, which is one of the great places here,” Jolly said. The Blue Angels are a pivotal piece of Pensacola history and have been around since 1946 in honor of the United States Navy

and Marine Corps. The main mural located inside the restaurant sets the tone of the Wine Bar and illustrates the beauty of the building, as well as a tribute to Kent Stanton.

“Stanton was a well-known musician who passed away recently, and we wanted to respect him,” Jolly said. Stanton became an icon for downtown life and everyone looked forward to listening to his music. He played his guitar on Palafox regularly for decades and even sung original songs. Unfortunately

on April 26, 2020, Stanton died suddenly in his sleep. He was a local legend and will live on forever.

Jolly explains the process of designing these murals. “I went out and took the photos and created my perspective. I took a piece of tracing paper and traced it on my big screen,” Jolly said. “I had three pieces of tracing paper for each one. Finally I scanned those and used that as the line art. I do all the coloring in photoshop.”

As you approach the Wine Bar it will be hard not to notice these beautiful designs. “The outside murals took about three days a piece to make and the main mural took three weeks,” Jolly said.

In light of the golden summer season, these murals add nostalgia to downtown Pensacola and remind people of all the good that goes on around them. “I think people will start identifying with the events on the murals and remind them of what is going on down here,” Jolly said.

Come and visit the Wine Bar, open seven days a week, and enjoy the beautiful art. While you’re at it, enjoy a glass of wine while talking about the good ole times and the many more to come.

Homer Jolly discussing the 

meaning behind the murals he created for the Wine Bar.

478-320-5913 EastHillMusicFirm@gmail.com Summer Camp Enrollment Now Open! • Piano • Music & Movement • Singer/Songwriter • Instrument Exploration

East Hill Music is dedicated to providing a music lesson experience grounded in professionalism and personal enjoyment and betterment. We want to supply useful musical knowledge to our students so they can excel in future musical endeavors. We make sure our lessons are fun, but also very informative. We offer music lessons for all ages, and are running summer

music camps throughout July!