Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 21

The
big
picture
Georgia muralists add splashes
of color to drab surfaces
By Amber Lanier Nagle
I
n the summer of 2017, muralist Chris Johnson
found himself in tiny Shellman in Randolph
County, balancing on the platform of a lift truck
with a can of paint in his left hand and a brush in his
right. Sweat dripped down his face as heat radiated
from the surface of a 35,000-bushel grain bin. Stroke
by stroke, he applied color to the metallic canvas.
" I painted murals on the six grain silos in
Shellman, " says Johnson, who lives in Columbus.
" One celebrates the area's agricultural products; one
depicts Boudleaux Bryant, a songwriter who was
born there; and another honors the dirt farmers who
established Shellman in 1883. "
Despite the harsh working conditions, painting
large-scale outdoor murals makes Johnson feel like
a rock star.
" Local folks take care of me while I work, " he
says. " Some honk their horns as they drive by or
shout words of encouragement. Others bring me
water, cookies or farm-fresh eggs. "
Much like the baseball diamond in the movie
" Field of Dreams, " public murals can have an if-youbuild-it-they-will-come
effect on places. They draw
tourists to towns to take a look and snap a photo-
something referred to as " art tourism. "
" I love what I do and that people take an interest
in [what I do], " says Johnson, who has painted about
100 murals. " Most of all, I love taking old things
and making them seem new again. That's really
important to me. "
Georgia is home to dozens of murals-works of
Top: Chris Johnson used a lift truck to paint his fi ve-story " Lady Columbus "
masterpiece on the side of the Heritage Tower in his hometown of Columbus.
Above: Johnson's murals on the six grain silos in Shellman celebrate local
heritage, including the town's agricultural products.
art painted on or applied directly to walls or other
permanent structures in both public and private
spaces. The artists who create them help individuals
MORE
www.georgiamagazine.org 21
CHRIS JOHNSON
JOHN PYLE

http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2024

Contents
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 4
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 5
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 6
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 7
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 8
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 9
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 10
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 11
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 12
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 13
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 14
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 15
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 16
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 17
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 18
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 19
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 20
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 21
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 22
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 23
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 24
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 25
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 26
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 27
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 28
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 29
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 30
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 31
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 32
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 33
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 34
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 35
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 36
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 37
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 38
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - Cover4
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