- The Hattiesburg Public Art Trail has a variety of completed works for all to ponder and enjoy.
Public art began to pop up in large cities worldwide in the 1980s, marking the start of a global movement. From London, England, to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Austin, Texas, communities began to engage artists to paint large murals on the sides of tall buildings, bridge abutments, and almost any place there was a need to improve the lackluster urban landscape of concrete and steel.
The trend has only grown since then. Mississippi has not been left behind. Although Oxford, Starkville, Jackson, Laurel, and other cities can tout outstanding murals, Hattiesburg is halfway to its goal of being “The City with 100 Murals.” The number of public art displays in the Hub City rivals the number in cities like Atlanta and Nashville. Emerging as an artistic destination of the Gulf South, Hattiesburg has focused on bringing art to public spaces.
This project was for everyone. Art enhances the quality of life. Like an oasis in the desert, the sculptures and murals scattered around the Hub City were meant to spark curiosity and lift the spirits of those who turned a corner and saw something unexpected and inspiring.
Marlo Dorsey, CEO of the Public Arts Alliance, says, “The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art, a program of Visit Hattiesburg, was first created as a non-profit arts initiative in 2014 to activate accessible spaces throughout the city with large-scale public art. For many years, juried sculpture shows were done annually, and the popularity of this free attraction grew significantly.”
The plan was on its way when COVID’s arrival in 2020 interrupted life as usual in Hattiesburg, as it did everywhere. The student population left the two local universities, William Carey University and the University of Southern Mississippi, and took the hustle and bustle that filled the stores, restaurants, and public spaces. What appeared to be a catastrophe for the tourist industry and an employment crisis for artists everywhere, COVID-19, provided a fertile opportunity for the creative leadership of HAPA to reimagine their original plan.
The stellar leadership behind the Alliance for Public Art put their heads together and put out a call to artists — both local, regional, and a few national — to submit designs for city murals and outdoor sculptures. And the artists responded!
Dorsey adds, “Our vision is to be a vibrant and welcoming creative Southern city. The love of place starts with a visit, and we want our visitors to feel a connection with Hattiesburg from the first time they encounter our outdoor spaces. With that in mind, we have been actively engaged with the creative community to curate a free outdoor art gallery filled with local artists and Mississippi artists, but we also seek national artists for projects, too.”
The diverse collection includes every genre imaginable, from pop art and realism to abstract and impressionism. The Hattiesburg Public Art Trail has a variety of completed works for all to ponder and enjoy. Within a year of its launch, Hattiesburg Public Art Trail had a website, a logo, and a brochure with a map of the self-guided tour through the displays of murals and other public art all over the city.
To date, 55 murals have been completed, each a unique expression, are as diverse in subject matter and style as the artists who created them, ensuring that everyone can find something that resonates.
These murals are not just about local history, although many depict unique Hattiesburg scenes and places. There are other murals celebrating such American landmarks as women’s suffrage, the roots of Rock and Roll, and inspiring messages based on quotes from Civil Rights Activist and poet Maya Angelou. From whimsical to deeply thought-provoking, the Alliance for Public Art surpassed their original goal of promoting community engagement and unity, encouraging artists, and beautifying the city.
The most recent installation to the collection was unveiled on August 23 in the Midtown Market development on Hardy Street. Entitled “Love Done Well,” it is a colorful and inspiring tribute to the late Gerry McIntire Waites, a community leader whose loving influence will live long in the city’s cultural, civic, and educational realm. The artist, Aubri Sparkman, is a local high school art student.
Another of the many memorable tributes along the trail is “The Family.” Celebrating Osceola McCarty, the Hattiesburg wash woman whose generous gift of $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi in 1995, the brightly colored mural by Hattiesburg artist Ricardo Moody features Ms. McCarty, Bible in her lap, rocking beside a large Oak Tree in a lush grassy field and surrounded by diverse neighborhood families.
Hattiesburg native Heidi Pitre’s forty-foot mural on McLeod Street pays homage to the one-hundredth anniversary of the nineteenth amendment giving women the right to vote. The predominantly red, white, and blue colors send a patriotic message. At the same time, the woman in the painting clutches a voter registration card in one hand and a grocery list in the other. There is also a symbol in the corner of the mural honoring past and present female officeholders in the Hattiesburg area.
River Prince, who calls himself a “sign painter” from Moselle, Mississippi, is the prolific creator of at least five of the 55 Hattiesburg murals. “Courage” covers an expansive wall along the side of Veterans’ Park. Almost a collage in composition, this piece is dedicated in honor of various courageous acts by Hattiesburg’s finest. Notable is the portrait in the far left corner of the mural of Jesse L. Brown, the United States’ first African American naval aviator killed in the Korean War.
In a completely different vein, Prince’s “Hub City, Smile,” was the first completed public art piece. The mural is intended to be an interactive experience and features an enormous welcoming smile. It carries a banner across the top that features a quote by Mother Teresa:
“You’ll Never Know All the Good a Simple Smile Can Do.” I wonder how many smiles that cheery work has inspired over the decade!
Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art projects are partly supported by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Hattiesburg has received numerous accolades for its thriving public arts sector, including being named a Top 11 Destination for Public Art by Travel + Leisure magazine. Southern Living has also taken notice of the placemaking efforts in Hattiesburg, naming it a Top 25 City on the Rise in the last year.
See here for more inspiring photos and check out the Call for Artists page. You may find yourself part of a creative team of mural artists.
Marilyn Tinnin
