Oxford, MS
Greetings from Oxford, Mississippi. We kicked off our Summer 2021 mural tour after a stationary year in Southern California.
Our RV made it 1,972 miles across the country in six days. Along the way, we camped mostly on public land in the middle of nowhere. We arrived to our final destination a few days ahead of schedule. As a result, we went ahead and got started on our Greetings from Oxford mural earlier than expected. Visit Oxford and the City of Oxford had our canvas primed and ready to go. The wall is located in a large parking lot behind City Hall. We spent the rest of the week painting there in the bright Mississippi sun. Luckily, the humidity Oxford knows very well didn’t arrive yet at this time of year.
The first day of the mural always appears to be the most visually productive. We laid down the sketch with pounce patterns and got the background rolled out with bucket paint. We were immediately greeted with southern hospitality when a local, Mike Mitchell and his bull dog Buzz stopped by to get the scoop. He quickly returned with gift cards to some of his favorite local restaurants! The next day, mayor Robyn Tannehill and her daughter officially welcomed us. Over the Easter weekend, her family even brought over lunch plates from their family gathering. It was absolutely delicious and an introduction to all the great food we would soon experience around town. If you are visiting, don’t forget to check out the James Beard award winning City Grocery & Snack Bar!
We met many locals around town and there’s a recurring saying that goes, “yeah, I went to school here and just stayed.” Those we talked to love that it’s Mississippi’s cultural mecca, very walkable, laid back and welcoming to all.
Local artist Bradley Gordon joined us to collaborate in the “R” of the Oxford mural. His artwork involves a unique process of layering oils and using chopsticks to reveal the underpainting. This technique was applied to the feathers of Princess Hoka’s wings. About half the town stopped by to see him paint which reminded us once again how special smaller towns are when it comes to community.
We included Princess Hoka in honor of the the land that Oxford is on. Long before the city was known for William Faulkner and Ole Miss, it belonged to a woman named Hoka, a Chickasaw princess. A local legend nicknamed Ronzo opened The Hoka Theater that was once a cotton warehouse. Ronzo wanted to share independent films with the community that they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to. The theater eventually opened a kitchen that served food you couldn’t get here in the 1970’s and they stayed open until 3AM.
Our mural also features local authors that have written classic novels here in town including Ellen Douglas, Barry Hannah, David Sansing, Larry Brown and William Faulkner. The letters O and X represent the oldest department store in the South, Neilson’s (pronounced Nelson’s), and the classic water tower that is visible throughout town. The mural wouldn’t be complete without featuring southern cooking, specifically fried catfish from this region. The letter D depicts the Burns-Belfry Museum & Multicultural Center representing the church that was formed by freed African Americans after the Civil War, known as the Burns Methodist Episcopal Church.
It took us about six days to paint the design using all spray paint. We have a mission to help introduce public art murals to communities that have been hesitant to embrace it. Our hope is that these projects open up more opportunities for local artists once cities see the positive impact and economic activity that these murals can bring. Until next time, thank you Oxford Mississippi!
“ Working with Greetings Tours was an enjoyable and professional experience from beginning to end. Our finished mural celebrates Oxford’s varied cultural and historical significance by highlighting beautiful landscapes, our local literary greats, native American history, our culinary culture and African American history. The Greetings from Oxford mural is something that our entire community can be proud of for many years to come.”
OXFORD MURAL ART PRINT
50% of the proceeds in 2021 of this print will be donated to the Oxford Public Art Fund. Thank you for your support!
Letter Guide:
O — Oxford Square / Neilson’s Department Store (Holiday Lights)
X — Oxford Water Tower (Holiday Lights)
F — Books by Famous Local Authors
O — Local Southern Cuisine / Fried Catfish & Sweet Tea
R — Princess Hoka / Local Artist Collab with Bradley S Gordon
D — Historic Burns-Belfry Museum & Multicultural Center
Press:
The Oxford Eagle - “Greetings from Oxford” mural to be completed this month
Hotty Toddy - Large Mural Will Feature Oxford Culture, Food, History
Year: 2021
Mural Size: 9'H x 32'W
Location: 1398 East Jackson Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655 (in Parking Lot behind City Hall)