The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art has outdone itself on its murals throughout the Hub City, recently revealing three new works of art at Thames Elementary School on Jamestown Road in Hattiesburg.
The murals – which consist of a full-court basketball mural and two large-scale wall murals – mark murals 38, 39 and 40 on the Hattiesburg Public Art Trail. The artwork is part of more than $50,000 in improvements to outdoor spaces at the school, including a $10,000 community challenge grant from the AARP and coordination with Hattiesburg Landmark Preservation and HAPA.
“We’ve been investing time, energy and work at Thames Elementary School – picking up trash, moving mulch and trimming trees, just trying to make the campus look better for students and to try and give them a bright place,” said Shawn Harris, who serves as treasure for Hattiesburg Landmark Preservation. “This is the only community park in Ward 3, so it’s really important not just to the students, but for our community.
“What started as just a basketball court renovation – which is a big project (at) $24,000 – when we saw the AARP grant … I went for it, and we won. What that did was help us create an even more vibrant space.”
The basketball court mural was designed by project partners Mike and Tiffany Goebel and painted by Hattiesburg artist River Prince. The artwork measures 93 feet by 60 feet and features a heart, globe and hands in the middle, and the words “love” and “respect” on the sides and ends.
“It’s really impactful, just hearing what this means to be a part of this community, and what it’s going to mean to all these students,” Prince said. “I’m honored to be a part of that.
“I have a nine-month-old at home, and one day he’ll be (these students’) age, and we’ll be able to take him to play on it. So I’m excited about that, and excited to see how it impacts everyone who steps foot on it.”
Artist Steffi Lynn Tsai of Brooklyn, New York, was commissioned to paint the two wall murals at the school, via a previously-published call for artists. Tsai also has been selected for works by Samsung, Adobe Creative Cloud, American Eagle, Kenneth Cole, Wendy’s, Converse, Sephora, Chipotle, Kendra Scott, and more.
The wall murals mark her first project in Mississippi.
One mural reads “You can do big things” and features drawings of a light bulb, magnifying glass, flowers and pencils. The other says “Plant a seed, watch it grow,” with students selecting books and picking flowers.
“My work is all about spreading positivity and motivating people to do what they love and what they want to do, and manifest their dreams and ideas,” Tsai said. “Anything can happen and you really can do anything, so I’m really happy that I got to do this project.
“I hope that people will look at this and feel motivated to do what they love.”
In addition to the AARP and HAPA funding, several private citizens and businesses with a passion for revitalizing youth recreational spaces in the community also contributed to the project. A cleanup day was held in late October as a part of Make a Difference Day, where more than a hundred volunteers assisted with litter pickup, landscaping, and general facelift work in preparation for the project’s unveiling.
“As Hattiesburg continues to grow as a global arts destination, it’s important for us to maintain a good balance of supporting local talent while also inviting national artists to leave their mark on Hattiesburg,” said Marlo Dorsey, executive director of Visit Hattiesburg, which oversees HAPA. “This has led to two incredible artists working together to beautify a space that will enrich imaginations for many years to come.”
