As Athens continues to expand public art around the city, a new large-scale mural has been installed on the face of the Foundry Street parking deck adjacent to the new Akins Ford Arena.. The mural, entitled “Architecture of Imagination,” was created by artist Kate Lynn Lewis.
“Every mural is a learning experience, because every wall is a unique surface with its own personality,” Lewis said.
The installation process started on Oct. 1, with the mural scheduled to be completed by Oct. 29. Lewis’ design was chosen in a blind selection by a public art selection panel, which consists of community members who review and select from submitted proposals for Athens-Clarke County-funded public art commissions.
The painting crew’s last day on site was Saturday, Oct. 25, and on Tuesday, Oct. 29, photographs are set to be taken of the final product, according to Lewis.
Lewis’ design was chosen out of 97 applicants who submitted designs during the nationwide call for public art, and the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission approved the design in November 2022.
Lewis describes “Architecture of Imagination” as “objects stacking and interweaving, lifting each other up, holding each other up but woven into one another in an impossible way.”
The artwork’s installation process was funded by the ACC SPLOST, or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which provides funding for improvement projects around the city that would otherwise be paid for with general fund and property tax revenues.
“The background colors go from a light color to a dark color, and that was reflected in the way the sunset is here, and how it really brings out those in the shadows and colors at night. It’s really beautiful,” Lewis said.
Mack Constantine, a house painter from Chicago, helped Lewis with the installation of the mural.
“We did a little bit different of a process where we started with black outlines, which is typically what we would end with. Just experimenting with a new process to this mural, and it turned out really well,” Constantine said. “These tones are red around town for the Bulldogs.”
As a South Florida and Chicago based artist, Lewis draws inspiration from artists MC Escher and Oscar Reutersvärd. Her designs are characterized by her emphasis on “impossible architecture,” including bold colors and clean, hard lines, according to a press release from the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission. In order to achieve clean lines on the brick wall of the parking deck, Lewis and her team hand painted thin lines for a seamless finish to the mural.
“I always feel like murals are just this beautiful way of bringing vibrancy into the world,” Lewis said.
