Painters sought for new mural
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on May 22, 2008 2:06 PM
The south exterior wall of Torero's Restaurant downtown will soon become a work of art, thanks to a project to paint a mural the south side of the John Street building.
And the community is being invited to help.
"It's going to be a paint by numbers, so you don't even have to be an artist, just as long as you can hold a paint brush," Arts Council Director Sarah Merritt said.
In early June, people will begin painting a marketplace scene designed by Goldsboro High School seniors Jamico Chapman and Charyse White.
The idea for the design was one that the Arts Council suggested, but the students took the concept and ran with it, said their art teacher, Nicholas Millner.
"(The design) will capture a wide audience. There is going to be a lot of diversity in it to show all the people in Goldsboro," Millner said.
The school was chosen to come up with the design for the project partially because of Millner's enthusiasm.
"I sent out a message and Mr. Millner took it under his wing. He was the one who showed the most interest," Ms. Merritt said. "I think it's nice to have the city school doing this city project.
"I think he had a group of overachievers who were really into art," she added.
Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Director Julie Thompson said she is happy that the project has already been so enthusiastically received. She said she believes it will add to the aesthetics of the downtown area and hopefully generate other art projects down the road.
"I'm glad that the arts are coming back to the public domain, and that's downtown," Mrs. Thompson said.
The council received a grant from Target for $2,500 as well as other matching funds to make the project possible.
Ms. Merritt said that she wasn't sure exactly what date in June the project will begin or how many painters will be needed for the project.
"The wall still needs to be primed, but we already have people flowing in that want to help," she said.
Anyone who wants to be a part of the work are invited to call the Arts Council at 736-3300.