Rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..
Rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Abraham Abebe (Photo from Macon Transit Authority).
One of the murals completed in Macon-Bibb County by Georgia College & State University professor Abraham Abebe (Photo from Macon Transit Authority).
Abraham Abebe (Photo from Macon Transit Authority).
One of the murals completed in Macon-Bibb County by Georgia College & State University professor Abraham Abebe (Photo from Macon Transit Authority).
Macon is known for its rich music history, and Georgia College’s Dr. Abraham Abebe worked to display its influence prominently with the completion of a recent mural extension.
“Music plays an important role in our life,” Abebe said in an artist statement regarding “The Spirit of Macon II.” “It can make us calm and relaxed but also allows us to feel all emotions. This mural is the result of my observation at and around the Historic Terminal Station.”
Abebe, who teaches graphic design and design foundation courses at Georgia College, completed the first part of the mural, “The Spirit of Macon,” in January after seeing an announcement on The Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority’s website. After preparing and submitting two proposals, Abebe was ultimately selected to create a mural on The Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority’s Historic Terminal Station.
“My inspiration for both murals came from historical, cultural, natural, musical and structural references,” Abebe said. “Macon is rich in history and culture, so I tried to put an emphasis on that. Moreover, I integrated different shapes and strong colors as a symbol to represent diversity and inclusion.”
Abebe said the first part of the mural, “The Spirit of Macon,” took him 23 days to complete and was finished in January. After Abebe had completed the first mural, he said he and Public Information Officer at MTA Jami Gaudet had a conversation about extending the mural over the Poplar Street Tunnel. After their discussion, Gaudet wrote and submitted a grant proposal. The extension mural, “The Spirit of Macon II,” was made possible with the help of Gaudet, Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority, the Linda Harriet Lane Fund and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.
Abebe said “The Spirit of Macon II” took him 20 days to complete. The first step was brainstorming different ideas before developing rough and refined sketches.
“After that, I had to choose one of the sketches that has a better composition so that I could use it as a reference for the final painting,” he explained.
Before he began painting, Abebe said the wall surface was pressure washed and painted with white primer. After the primer dried, he used a doodle (lazy) grid to transfer his sketches to the larger wall. He said he mostly used brushes and acrylic paint to develop the painting as well as spray paints when necessary.
Throughout the process of the mural extension, Abebe worked to visually reflect the impact of music.
“Most people who travel through the terminal use headphones to listen to music while commuting, which made me realize the power of music and its significant impact in our community,” he said in the artist statement. “Thus, I dedicated this mural to reflect the importance of music and its significant power when expressed in visual forms. I used female and male characters as a focal point to display power balance. The violin was used as a symbol to represent all string instruments and the trumpet was used to represent all wind instruments.”
Abebe said birds were used to depict the harmonious sound produced by nature, and the geometric pattern in the background was used to keep the overall mural consistent.
This wasn’t Abebe’s first experience painting murals. While in Las Vegas, he painted two interior and two exterior murals. The mural in Macon is the largest he has done so far, though.
The experience will certainly impact future conversations with students, particularly, he said, in the way he teaches the foundation course. He said he has learned a lot himself through the process — from handling the logistics to understanding materials and differentiating the texture of the wall. He explained that murals require more time, energy, and effort than other paintings, and they also present unique challenges like rain, heat and humidity.
“I definitely will walk my students through the process of developing an interior and exterior mural,” he said. “I will discuss with my students about the use of different materials and techniques. I will also put an emphasis on the area of skill development and idea refinement.”
While the mural will certainly add value to discussions with students, it’s the idea of togetherness that Abebe hopes will be the mural’s greatest impact.
“It is my hope that the mural will bring more values for the city and community of Macon,” he said. “I want the mural to create a unique experience, inspire people, and bring the community together.”
The “Spirit of Macon” mural is located in downtown Macon at the corner of Poplar and Fifth Streets. “The Spirit of Macon II” is displayed at the Poplar Street Tunnel.
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