City Front mural project goes to local artist

[04/03/01] The City of Vicksburg selected a waterfront mural Monday, granting a local artist $15,000 project to transfer her design to the floodwall at Levee Street.

Martha Ferris’ work will be painted on a 57-foot section of the wall at the foot of Clay Street. Nine other artists offered designs in the project for which the Mississippi Arts Commission paid half.

A committee was formed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to narrow the selections down to two and present the finalists’ works to the curator of the Mississippi Museum of Art for a final recommendation.

The final approval had to come from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and was passed on a 2-1 vote with South Ward Alderman Sam Habeeb dissenting.

“This piece just doesn’t fit in with the current atmosphere,” Habeeb said. “The committee was looking at something they liked without regard to other things in the area.”

Habeeb said he thought the color scheme was too bold for the area and said the Architectural Review Board even suggested toning down the colors.

However, North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young said it was important to go with the committee’s recommendation.

“These people worked hard on this and they are noted artists,” Young said. “If we don’t go with the one selected, the committee’s job would have been for nothing.”

Ferris and local artist Kennith Humphrey were the two finalists selected by the panel, and Rene Paul Barilleaux, chief curator of the Mississippi Museum of Art, selected Ferris’ design as the best representation for the city.

“I’m delighted,” Ferris said. “When I saw the two final designs, it was hard to know what to wish for because Kennith is such a great artist.”

Ferris said she felt her design represented all the people who settled here and the diversity they brought with them.

“It’s a stylized version of life along the river, with historic and modern themes and the diversity of life” Ferris said.

She said the design represents the river, the railroad, and the highway that brought people to Vicksburg and the bold, bright colors represent the colorful people who populate the city.

The deadline for completion is July 31.

In other business, the board:

Scheduled a public meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the KFC on Halls Ferry Road to meet with Marcus Bottom residents and students and professors from Jackson State University’s urban improvement program.

Accepted a $275,000 grant from the African-American Heritage Program to design and have built a monument for U.S. Colored Troops. The city will add $25,000 to the cost, and the finished project will be displayed at the Vicksburg National Military Cemetery.

Approved a $300 sponsorship for 30 students from Vicksburg High School for T-shirts at an annual drug-free conference at the University of Southern Mississippi. The money will come from an “Our Kids” fund through the Vicksburg Police Department, which is made of contributions and used for youth related activities.

Approved a $25,000 annual allocation to the 807 Clinic for HIV services.

Agreed to a right-of-way variance to Quality Development, Inc. from 50 feet to 30 feet in the Kings area.

The Mayor and Aldermen will meet again at 10 a.m., April 10 at City Hall.