Faculty member’s mural featured at Athens eatery

As a resident of Athens, Georgia, Vivian Liddell is familiar with the restaurant LRG Provisions in the pedestrian-friendly Five Points neighborhood. Plus, her neighbor is one of the owners.

"Over a year ago, Jeneane McGuire tried to convince me to paint a mural on the interior of the restaurant," said Liddell, a lecturer of visual arts at the University of North Georgia (UNG). "I said no, because I teach full time and have my own studio."

McGuire remained persistent, and Liddell relented. This summer she and UNG alumna Ashley Blankenship, a former student of Liddell's, painted an abstract mural on the exterior wall and a smaller, altered slice inside.

This summer Vivian Liddell, lecturer of visual arts at the University of North Georgia (UNG) and UNG alumna Ashley Blankenship, a former student of Liddell's, painted murals on inside and outside of the restaurant LRG Provisions in Athens, Georgia.

Liddell said she worked on the design for a month on the computer and incorporated submissions from residents. Then she started painting the inside mural first because of the weather.

"It rained for 15 days straight," Liddell said, adding she started on the outside in early June. "That is not a great time to paint murals because the paint doesn't cooperate in temperatures higher than 85 degrees."

Liddell and Blankenship, therefore, painted in the early morning hours and quit by noon. The duo plan to be finished for the reception and unveiling, which is set for 5-7 p.m. July 22 at 1653 S. Lumpkin St. in Athens.

After this experience, Liddell is ready to paint another one.

"This is an open access mural and you don't have to be involved in the art world to appreciate it," she said. "I would like to do something like this again with students."