Iconic symbols of Augusta with a twist are finding their way onto the wall of a building located at Sixth and Reynolds Streets.
Cool cats highlight the area’s music scene, a squirrel represents the medical district, a possum flying a plane is a nod to the aviation sector, a blue windmill pays homage to the city’s golf tradition even if it’s mini golf, plus there’s an Augusta Lynx and a smiling pitcher of sweet tea. These are a few of the images that are part of a mural created by teens through a Morris Museum of Art camp.
“The challenge with this building is there are so many windows and doors. You have to be really creative,” said Craig, who has headed the camp that is in its fifth year.
June 8-12 is the second week of the camp. During the first week, students painted the left side of the mural.
Twenty-two teens between the ages of 13 and 17 are participating in the camp. Many of them are returning including Cullie La Pan, 15, who’s been part of the camp for four years. Cullie returns because the camp allows students to take the lead and tap into their own artistic abilities.
“You really get to do it. Everybody does everything,” Cullie said.
Students come up with the ideas, and everyone votes on elements in the project. They put the design on the wall and paint it with Craig’s suggestions. The only thing they don’t get to determine is the color palette A lot of factors go into what colors are used, Craig said, including being able to get enough paint for the huge space. Also, the colors have to be in line with the base wall color plus he went with minimal options.
“They have to be creative,” he said. “Last week, they had three different shades of blues and a yellow. They said ‘we don’t know what to do,’ then they started painting.”
The options this week included a brownish green, a brown and terra cotta.
Other murals painted over the years include a James Brown mural in 2023 and a “Make Time” mural in 2025. That mural is painted on the same building as this year’s murals but facing Sixth Street.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
