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“ I love art and I love Meridian , and what a way to get people interested in art ,” Carruth said .
Iverson said each of the group ’ s members has their own individual strengths but they all respect each other as fellow artists .
“ I am really good at mixing colors . Cary can think outside the box . He is the most creative person I know . Kris is the mathematician and is so methodical ,” she added . “ Give him a mission and he is going to complete it . Daniel and Leslie , the youngsters , are so much more creative than us old guys , but we all work so well together .”
Their talents soon began appearing on walls and buildings around Meridian and Lauderdale County .
Colorful murals on Mia ’ s Café on Front Street and Cater ’ s Market on Highway 493 drew lots of buzz . The “ Come Together ” mural on the side of Freddie ’ s Fine Spirits on Highway 39 pays homage to The Beatles ’ Abbey Road album and has proven to be a fan favorite .
The group reproduced a panel from decades ago on the side of the historic Weidmann ’ s Restaurant and painted the company logos on the new Shloop manufacturing building on 22nd avenue . They even went to Philadelphia to paint a mural for Luxe Body & Beauty Studio .
At Meridian Naval Air Station , the group ’ s members painted a mural honoring Ensign Jesse L . Brown , a Hattiesburg native and the Navy ’ s first African American aviator , who was portrayed in the recent movie “ Devotion .”
They also assisted with the Junior Auxiliary of Meridian ’ s Heart for the Arts Walk , where nine students ’ artwork was chosen to be painted on lightboxes , sidewalks and spaces throughout downtown .
While the artists have tackled these projects as a group , they also have encouraged local students and community residents to come out and lend a hand .
“ I have seen a change in the attitude about people loving their city more in the two years we have been doing this . There is a movement started ,” Iverson said .
“ Young people are coming back to open businesses downtown . They are excited about the color ,” she added . “ We have people say we want to be a part of the excitement of downtown .”
To date , the group ’ s largest mural is the giant display of country music legend Jimmie Rodgers painted on an 1,800-square-foot wall on the back side of the old Vise building downtown . It is based on a poster design created by Ethridge for the Jimmie Rodgers Festival six years ago .
“ The Jimmie Rodgers mural is the first mural that we know of that is augmented reality in the state of Mississippi ,” Carruth said . “ If you hold your phone up to it and click on the QR code , the rays will move behind him so you are kind of interactive with the mural .”
Haycox said plans are to eventually go back and make the other murals augmented reality but that it will take some time since they are still learning the technology behind the animation .
From the conception of an idea to a finished mural can be a lengthy process with lots of time spent planning the artwork , meeting with the business to finalize a design and awaiting approval from the city , he said .
Ethridge then maps out the project on his computer using a grid method which breaks down the artwork into smaller sections for painting . The artists then draw out the mural on the wall based on the grids .
Carruth said it took seven days to grid and draw out the Rodgers mural . They had to work harnessed in a lift to reach the height . It took another 15 or 16
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