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Texas
Escapes Salutes: Dothan,
Alabama and Colquitt, Georgia Tour
Part Two
by William “Billy” Warm
TE Photos |
< Part
One
You’ll probably
see Colquitt’s most ambitious mural before you get inside the city limits. If
you don’t, you’re blind and should surrender your driving license. This mural
avoids the rude “in-your-face” theme – usually employed by graffiti artists –
by having the human element face toward downtown. But make no mistake, the peanut
farmer depicted could really get in your face if he wanted. He could get in Godzilla’s
face, if he wasn’t so concerned with his peanuts (which are the actual size of
your average Wal-Mart shopper). |
The
Birdsong Peanut Silo Mural in Colquitt, Georgia
TE
photo, November 2012 |
| This beautiful mural,
by artist Charlie Johnson looks like the result of a discussion between César
Chavez and Georgia O’Keefe. Despite it’s being on a peanut silo, cotton and cattle
are also shown, as is a crop dusting plane. The Birdsong Peanut Company donated
the skin of the silo (they weren’t using it anyway) but they deserve a tip of
the peanut farmer’s hat for not insisting on the inclusion of their name. |
| The
Birdsong Silo Mural Side Facing Townsquare
TE
photo, November 2012 |
The mural is a late
entry in Colquitt’s well-established Millennium Mural Project. You can round the
mural thanks to a church parking lot and city streets. Credits and sponsors are
found under the peanuts on the mural’s north side.
The city of Colquitt
has also provided a downtown garden (SE corner) of peanuts and cotton as an educational
display. It could be considered a nostalgia garden for people of a certain age
who were once intimate with peanuts or cotton – as a lot of Georgians are. |
| Living
display of peanuts & cotton just off townsquare
TE
photo, November 2012 |
| The
Only Mural in America featuring the Alcatraz Prison Escape
TE
photo, November 2012 |
As impressive as
the peanut mural is (It’s properly known as a Agricultural Icon Mural), downtown
Colquitt offers more art, many of them excellent, although sadly, some of them
are already fading. One of the more mysterious murals is one of a man sitting
behind a desk, reviewing memorabilia that seems to revolve around Alcatraz prison.
Several of the murals depict local legends and landmarks. Based on the
candor and posing of subjects, several appear to have been adapted from photographs.
|
Mural
Depicting Colquitt in the 40s - curious about the man with the dollar bill? So
are we.
TE
photo, November 2012 |
Detail
from Mural entitled Neighbors by Wes Hardin
TE
photo, November 2012 |
Colquitt
mural depicting the town square in the 50s
TE
photo, November 2012 |
The
Colquitt Volunteer Fire Department takes out a loan to purchase "Jaws of Life"
TE photo, November
2012 |
A short slide
show of still photographs by Tarah Sloan and Lauren Engram, follows the Millennium
Mural Project from its first coat of primer to the mural’s dedication. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xTqVjdnrV0
I
would like to take a moment to state my appreciation for being able to contribute
to Texas Escapes, and would like to thank the management, who graciously overlooked
the long contentious relationship between them and brother Luke and still co-signed
for my new truck.
William
“Billy” Warm
Observer-at-large, SE
December 9, 2012
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