Alma Bea's Restaurant Mural

In 2024, I acted as lead painter and a lead designer for a mural on the front of a local business, a restaurant named Alma Bea's, highlighting the importance
of pollinators and native plant species.
I worked with a team of nine other painters under the direction of art director Sonya Evanisko. Sonya and I created the composition with designer Heather Crosby. Sonya chose to entitle the project the "Gateway Mural," given it is the first building commuters see when entering the town.
I designed out half of the building while Sonya designed the other half; we wanted to take advantage of negative space and create a striking silhouette with bright, fun colors against a black background.
Sonya was additionally inspired by Danske Dandridge, a poet and writer who described that the town was
"like a hive of industrious bees," honoring not only the importance of protecting pollinators but also the hard working locals who are so dedicated to contributing to conservation. We chose to include sassafras leaves and branches as well as a beehive.
In the painting process, I sketched the composition out on the building, painted the hive and various patterns, and provided insight on the creation to aid students in the process. Once the mural was completed, Shepherdstown Bee City installed planters with pollinator friendly plants in front of the building.
-Charlotte