Collaborative artwork project bonds Selma community

Submitted by ACTIVATE SELMA

SELMA — Five local artists ripping brown paper to reveal their new five-panel art mural in downtown Selma brought town officials, business owners, residents and visitors spilling out into the busy intersection of Anderson and Raiford streets. Each panel portrays dance, music, theatre, writing and visual arts.

The mural reveal was held Feb. 2 at Treasury Antiques.

In 2021, Activate Selma partnered with the Johnston County Arts Council to create the new mural as one of the arts council’s 50th Anniversary projects. Selma resident Allyson Caison coordinated the project, which centers on the theme of “Celebrating Love through Art, Community and Culture.”

Percilla Williams of Selma, portraying dance, took inspiration from American ballet dancer Misty Copeland and put her ballerina en pointe with Selma’s active rail community in the background. “I was inspired with youth in mind — youth of all colors. I want them to see they can do anything they want to do, be anyone they want to be. Just be the best at whatever you do, and grow up into someone great,” Williams said.

Sue Avera of Smithfield portrayed music in her panel, painting notes and concentric swirls to help viewers visualize healing and uplifting music being sent out into the community. Grace Brantley of Princeton chose to portray writing because of Johnston County’s diverse community, where more than one language is spoken in at least one-fourth of all homes. On her panel she painted the welcoming word, “love,” in nine languages.

The “Celebrate Love” mural artists, from left, are Judy Boyette of Four Oaks, Percilla Williams of Selma, Grace Brantley of Princeton, William Strickland of Selma and Sue Avera of Smithfield.

Selma artist William Strickland portrayed theater. “For many people who travel to Selma, it’s family tradition to go to the Rudy Theatre. I spotlighted what I think is a Johnston County treasure. The Rudy has been celebrating music and drama since 1998 - it deserves to be put on a pedestal,” Strickland said.

Judy Boyette of Four Oaks was challenged to portray the visual arts. She focused on the different tools visual artists use to bring their arts to audiences. “As president of the arts council, let me tell you this was quite a joy for us to collaborate with Allyson Caison in Selma and come up with the plan,” Boyette said.

“We’re celebrating love, but we’re also celebrating Allyson’s perseverance,” said Selma mayor Byron McAllister. “Allyson and I had a conversation about a year ago, at a point where she thought it might not come together. But her vision and endurance brought all of this to all of us. The artful changes that are being made throughout our community are just amazing.”

Boyette also had the challenge of finding the correct medium for the panels. “When we were first asked to do this I needed to get a little product knowledge,” Boyette said.

She went to a home improvement store to explain what the panels would look like and where they would be mounted – on the Anderson Street side of Treasury Antiques. With the help of Kevin Woodard, a former art student of Boyette’s, she determined to use thick cement board, made of cement and crushed rocks, with a metal kind of canvas coating. Woodard mixed up six paint colors in a special formula just for the project.

“It’s not even on the market,” Boyette explained. “It’s an expensive pigment that is more intense than what you buy off the shelves. I was thrilled with the result.”

She painted a pilot panel that she left on her house deck for three months in the elements. She said it was even knocked over at one point and didn’t get damaged. Once she was satisfied, the artists painted their panels, starting with exterior primer first. After their artwork was done, exterior sealer was used front and back.

“I found a new definition of art work,” said Chandler Pernell, arts council vice president, to the crowd’s laughter. “Have you ever moved a piece of art?”

Pernell was charged with installing the panels with the help of his work team, Albert Kensak, Kim Wooten, Ron Hester and Jeffrey Hamilton of Activate Selma.

“You’re going to see five beautiful pieces of art. What you’re not going to see is the joy on these artists’ faces when they were asked to create these paintings. You’re not going to see the sweat and the tears on their palettes as they were creating these paintings. You’re not going to see the excitement on Mr. and Mrs. Kensak’s faces, on this business that had to shut down for a year because of COVID. You missed that,“ Pernell said.

“You’re not going to see Albert out here measuring and mounting these cases like he was building Noah’s Ark. They’re perfect. You’re not going to see Ron and Jeff up on ladders. You’re not going to see Kim out here cutting ribbon in 45 mph wind from trucks riding by. You missed that. You’re not going to hear the 650 conversations that happened, making this thing coordinate just right. You’re not going to see my guys driving by with their moms and kids, and saying ‘I helped with that.’ Some snicker and say, ‘Art doesn’t improve life.’ That’s okay. But art work does,” he continued.

“Activate Selma is a group of business owners and residents who work together really hard to make our favorite little town unique,” said Wooten, owner of Selma Jewelry. “We don’t complain, we take action. We figure out what we can do to make things better.”

The group gathers Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at various locations to spark creative problem-solving. Follow Activate Selma on social media at Facebook.com/ ActivateSelmaNC or Instagram @ activateselmanc or visit www. ActivateSelmaNC. com.

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