Beautifying an underpass on the North Oconee River Greenway, Elaine Stephenson’s new mural “Water is Life” pays homage to the natural beauty and importance of the nearby river. Located near the trailhead off of North Oconee Access Road, the Atlanta-based artist’s mural turns an otherwise utilitarian structure into an immersive site of surprise and imagination.
Stephenson’s design was chosen by a community panel using a blind selection process from a pool of 38 applications submitted during a nationwide call for art. The mural was funded by Athens-Clarke County’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program, a 1% sales tax approved by voters that funds a variety of capital improvement projects.
“I wanted to create a mural that emphasizes the importance of water in our lives and the cyclical nature of how it supports our ecosystems and ourselves,” says Stephenson. “The ceiling shows different shades of blue, which I wanted to represent the myriad of blue water from rivers, to oceans and lakes—in the most appealing hues, of course. The column designs are meant to integrate more with the surrounding landscape, using greens to represent the vegetation. The flowers and insects are inspired by the pollinator areas found nearby along the trail. Lastly, I painted puddles of water on the ground so the viewer can stand on them and become immersed as part of the installation.”
After graduating from the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia in 2011, Stephenson spent the following decade working as a graphic designer for various marketing agencies and a large nonprofit. She began painting murals in 2018, but it wasn’t until mid-2021 that she made the leap to become a full-time independent artist. Her background in graphic design greatly influences her style as a mural artist, evident from her love of typography and usage of bold colors and graphic lines.
“Once I painted my first mural I was hooked, as I found it so exciting and rewarding to see my artistic designs out in the world for the public to engage with,” says Stephenson. “I continued painting one mural after another until I believed I had enough skill, momentum and demand to leave my job and pursue being an artist full-time. I did a lot to prepare for that leap, such as taking a business course, saving up money, and lining up projects six months in advance of when I planned to go full-time. This helped me hit the ground running, and I find it’s really important as a self-employed artist to be proactive and always be doing outreach or applying to art calls so the work keeps coming in.”
Stephenson considers “Water is Life” to have been a full-circle moment, both personally and professionally. Not only was she able to contribute public artwork in the city where her formal art training took place, but she was able to speak with current UGA graphic design students who visited her in-progress mural.
Hoping to empower other aspiring mural artists, Stephenson is an open book when it comes to sharing what she’s learned. In addition to offering private consultation sessions, she offers a comprehensive 50-page PDF mural guide full of tips and tricks, as well as immersive weekend retreats where participants can get hands-on experience.
“I get a lot of inquiries from newer artists wanting advice, so I want to be able to help others as I can and not be a gatekeeper of information,” she says.
Stephenson also leads multiple initiatives to help build community among creatives in Atlanta. Established in 2021, ATL Art Pals is a monthly meetup for women and non-binary artists and art lovers to bond through “drink and draws” at breweries, art critiques over coffee or group exhibitions. Launched earlier this October, Mini Murals ATL is a new series featuring emerging artists in order to help them build their portfolios and break into the industry.
A portion of “Water is Life” will be completed at a later date due to scheduled bridge maintenance in the coming months, with a dedication ceremony to follow. To keep up with Stephenson’s endeavors, visit @artsy_elaine on Instagram or elainestephenson.com.
In other public art news, the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County recently announced a nationwide call for professional artists to submit qualifications for consideration for public art on Linnentown Lane. According to the call summary, “This sculpture will serve as a visual icon of the injustice that occurred at the site of the Linnentown community in the name of urban renewal. The work of art will capture the beauty and joy of life in Linnentown, but also speak to the harm enacted on the people of Linnentown, the pain they experienced in their displacement and the legacy their descendants have inherited.” The all-inclusive budget is $75,000, and the deadline to apply is Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. For details on how to submit a proposal or apply to serve on a selection panel, visit accgov.com/4161/Athens-Cultural-Affairs-Commission.
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