The City in Pictures

Millbrook is on the move, adding colorful murals to create social experiences and opportunities throughout the city.

Talented artists have partnered with city officials and business owners to paint the murals and offer one more reason to visit Millbrook.

According to Brenda Dennis, executive director of the Millbrook Chamber of Commerce, another mural will soon be created on state Route 14. Though details as to the artist and design were not yet available when this publication was printed, the added color was highly anticipated across the area.

One of the completed murals in Millbrook is located on the side of the Main Street Vintage Market building at 2910 Main St. and was created by a new artist on the scene. Originally from Illinois, Jordan Murphy, moved here with his wife in August and has been on the hunt for the perfect place, and the perfect way, to display his creative talents.

“I came into the economic development center because I heard about the mural grant program. Whoever I spoke with gave me Amy Floyd’s contact information. I reached out to have a booth to sell my artwork, not for the mural. When I came to the store to look around, I gave my card, and one of the workers actually told me they were looking for a muralist. Amy told me she wanted a mural, so we got on it,” Murphy explained.

The mural, which spans the side of the building, introduces a number of elements, some of which were chosen by Floyd, the market’s owner. But Floyd also wanted to give Murphy creative freedom on the project. He started the work in September and completed the solo project a month later.

“She had some things that she wanted to incorporate into the mural, but for the most part, she gave me creative freedom to do whatever needed to be done to articulate it. It was a modge-podge of stuff that all suited the temperament of her store. It works; it’s fitting,” Murphy said.

Along with painting murals, Murphy also creates commission paintings and other pieces of artwork, some of which are sold at the sight of his mural in Millbrook.

“I have a lot of commission paintings I do on canvas, stuff I’ll just paint myself and sell. Sometimes, people reach out and will want something painted to hang in their house or something like that,” Murphy explained.

As far as post-mural work, Murphy continues to make a name for himself around the Millbrook area and hopes to showcase his art in and around the area. He recently returned from a trip to Illinois for another art opportunity.

“Right now, mural-wise, I just got back from southern Illinois, which is where we are originally from; some friends of mine are opening a coffee shop that we’ve been collaborating on. I was the design consultant guy, so I’ll do anything that involves creative, executive decisions. The job meant everything from wall color to mural placement,” Murphy said.

While up there working on the collaboration, Murphy also submitted a bid to paint a mural for a grade school cafeteria.

Another Millbrook mural can be found just up the road from the Vintage Market work. This mural, which tells a story about Millbrook’s past, present and future, was created by local artist Milton Madison. The mural on the side of the Advanced Appraisal Service building faces the Millbrook Chamber of Commerce.

The city’s mural grant program played a part in Madison’s work. He came up with the concept of the mural and executed it with two of his friends. The mural, which spans the side of the building, uses a wide array of colors to relate the passage of time through a cherished story of the community of

Millbrook.

“I wanted to use colors that would really pop. We also found out that this building used to be a post office, so the owners wanted to incorporate a postman. They didn’t really know what else they wanted, so we came together to try and figure out what people do and what people say. I started thinking that the community has been here for a long time,” Madison explained.

With the community’s history in his head, Madison began thinking about past, present and future of the community and incorporated it into the piece.

One of the most stunning aspects to this mural is the sun’s rays etched across the cinderblocks. Though Milton’s original plan to have the rays extend across the entirety of the wall didn’t pan out, the piece catches eyes by the different colors and hues.

Past the sun’s rays is the depiction of a postman, and just past the postman Madison painted a group of children, which he believes are the connective tissue of the community.

“The children are the connective tissue for the community, being that tomorrow –that future. The postman is supposed to be a representation of happiness. You know when you get a letter as a kid, you’re all excited, so the postman is supposed to be delivering good news,” Madison explained.

The next time you’re near Millbrook, make your way to Main Street. Seeing beautiful works of art like Murphy’s and Madison’s just might add a pop of color to your day.