New mural captures the core essence of #BrookhavenStrong

Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, right, and Atlanta artist Alison Hamil, left, keep their social distance as they pose before Hamil’s finished #BrookhavenStrong mural installed this week along Peachtree Road on a section of the MARTA Gold Line retaining wall. Conceived by Ernst, the mural is meant to signify unity and hope for Brookhaven residents during the pandemic.

Brookhaven, GA April 17, 2020 -- A splash of stained-glass brilliance has slowly emerged this week over the Brookhaven landscape on a vacant grey stretch of MARTA retaining wall on Peachtree Road near City Hall. The unique 200-square foot mural is meant to send a message signifying the unity and hope that has become the essence of the ongoing #BrookhavenStrong initiative.

Conceived by Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, inspiration for the mural grew from Ernst’s observation of chalk art by quarantined youngsters on Facebook, drawn on residential driveways and sidewalks. Wording on the mural derives from the overall challenges faced by all during the COVID-19 crisis. “The four-word message, ‘We are all together’ speaks volumes about the resilience and fortitude all of our residents and businesses have displayed in the wake of the pandemic,” recalled Ernst. “I thought of the mural as just another way to continue the #BrookhavenStrong theme we have been utilizing in other programs such as the art contest and the patriotic musical selection presented a few weeks ago.” Atlanta artist Alison Hamil was recruited to bring the mural from concept to reality at an estimated cost of $2,000.

Ernst also noted that the project was an opportunity to have a public artist employed at a time when so many jobs have been lost. “In the future, I hope it will give a jumpstart to the prospect of doing other public art projects throughout the city,” he said. “The stained-glass look is also the perfect metaphor for how multiple Brookhaven components such as the residents, businesses, schools, police, first responders, healthcare specialists etc., have come together as separate entities like a multicolored mosaic to depict the sense of community that we have seen in past emergencies. I am so proud of everyone in Brookhaven who have all come together for the common good.”

Overall support for the mural has come from District 3 Council Member Madeleine Simmons (the mural is in D3) and other City Council members. “We are in full support of this temporary artistic display in the spirit of celebrating the resolve and resilience of the community during this time of unforeseen challenges as we collectively fight the spread of COVID-19,” said Simmons.

Working with Hamil to select the colors for the mural, Ernst encouraged her to use a pink tone as one of the murals colors to represent the City’s official flower, the cherry blossom, and the blue is taken from the City logo where it represents Brookhaven’s lakes, pools, ponds and other water features.

Hamil hails from Marietta, but has deep Brookhaven roots. Both of her parents grew up in the Brookhaven area and actually met as students at Cross Keys High School. “The mural’s message is such an uplifting one to the community for people who are facing hard times right now,” she said. “It expresses that they are not alone and we are all facing this together.” A graduate of Georgia State University, Hamil is a working artist whose diverse body of work includes murals, graphic design, and paintings in watercolor and acrylic. Most of her work incorporates bold colors, graphic patterns and symmetry. While many of her projects are local, such as on outside walls at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve in Buckhead, she has also done projects in such faraway nations as Greece and Costa Rica.

“There is so much intricate mathematical calculation work on a project like this, more than many people realize,” she continued. “I have had to paint in the mornings because when the afternoon sun reaches the site, it can put a glare on the artwork. The concrete retaining wall has also been a challenge since it soaks the exterior latex paint like a sponge.”

Hamil, who’s had projects cancelled or postponed during the pandemic, is appreciative for the Brookhaven assignment. “I want to express my gratitude towards Mayor Ernst and the City of Brookhaven for involving me in this project and giving me the opportunity to do something positive for the community,” she noted. “My husband and I are facing a lot of uncertainty right now with both of our careers (her husband works in the restaurant industry). The mural project has helped us get through this hard time and given us a ray of hope. Thank you, Brookhaven!”