The public is invited to celebrate the completed “Preserving History” mural, Saturday, February 15 at 2pm at the Georgetown City Hall and the African American Shotgun House.
The program includes a welcome from Mayor Dale Ross, followed by statements from mural artists Norma Clark and Devon Clarkson and Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association (GCCMA); the program will conclude inside City Hall with refreshments and a viewing of the mural video and slideshow.
The new mural is a beautification project that finished the screens at the back of City Hall and is also the backdrop of the Shotgun House.
The GCCMA chose local artists, Norma Clark and Devon Clarkson, because they are Georgetown residents with strong ties to our community and the surrounding neighborhoods.
About Mary Bailey
Mary Smith Bailey was chosen as the subject of the “Preserving History” mural because she was an important local figure who helped steward many children in Georgetown through a period of historic growth and change.
In 1953, Mary Bailey founded The West Side Kindergarten, the first preschool in the area to offer educational preschool services to non-white children. She believed “preschool children benefit most from an educational environment that helps them develop self-confidence, the ability to get along with and help others, and the desire to learn.” Today, hundreds of students and many changes later, the Mary Bailey [Head Start] Center continues to teach Georgetown children of all races the importance of learning.
Devon Clarkson painted the image of Mary Smith Bailey as the focal point of the mural. Devon’s experience includes local art exhibitions, as well as being the selected poster artist for the 20th Anniversary Red Poppy poster. Norma Clark, a local artist and graduate from Southwestern University, created a montage of inspired abstract images that can be recognized as children and students participating in athletic and educational activities. The collaboration of these two artists represents the integration of different artist styles to create something innovative and new while honoring and preserving culture and history.
At left, on October 24th, the Arts and Culture Board hosted a community painting party for community members to come out and help paint portions of the mural. It was a huge success in engaging the community to tell an important Georgetown story.
