Color the World Bright, a group led by Lamar Dodd School of Art Professor Joseph Norman recently completed the restoration of several historical murals in rural Georgia. In this project, Norman and students create and restore public murals of a bygone time. In restoring these “ghost- signs” he says, “A mural becomes a matter of civic pride…”. Participants in the group include Dodd students Lia Davis, Katie Eidson, Benjamin Thrash, Elizabeth Qardan, and Adjunct Professor, Meredith Lachin.

The group was recently awarded for their work in Madison, Ga. The Landmark Society of Madison and Color the World Bright received the “Preservation Intervention” Award for restoring the historic Chero-Cola ghost sign in its city center. The award is presented annually to individuals or organizations whose extraordinary efforts without which Madison may have lost important historic Landmarks. The mural restoration materials were sponsor by Lowes, Madison.

Color the World Bright also recently worked with the City of Conyers, Ga and Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts to restore vintage signs on the Ponte building at 939 Railroad Street in historic Olde Town Conyers. The Pointe, built in 1925, was formerly a locally-owned furniture warehouse, a mill owned by the Georgia Railroad, an antiques store, and has been the home of the bar/tavern, The Pointe, since 2007. Three sides of the building’s exterior feature Coca-Cola advertisements along with Walker-Owens Furniture signage, the name of the former furniture warehouse. Norman and his group of students restored the signs with an outpouring of community support.

The project would not have been possible without the rallying of the community, who donated many goods and services to see the project come to fruition including: Premier Platforms, Fieldstone Center, Inc., Cowan ACE Hardware (Green Street location), the Rockdale County Fire Department, the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, and Microtel Conyers.

"Art is a vital part of any community’s downtown and this restoration project demonstrates that Conyers supports the arts and the story it tells of our past, present and future to residents and visitors,” said Mayor Vince Evans. “This was a fun project and partnership with the UGA School of Art that will impact Olde Town Conyers for some time as this landmark building has been brought back to life in a vibrant way.”