Greg Mike mural on Blu Cantina/ Photos by Sheeka Sanahori
By Sheeka Sanahori
By Sheeka Sanahori
Lacee Star jumped out of her car, camera in hand, after finding a parking spot near a mixed commercial and apartment building on Flat Shoals Avenue. Her mission? To snap a pic of the new “It Takes a Village” mural on the facade.
Star’s blue Polaroid has a face on its front–its big eyes and chipped-tooth grin are the signatures of East Atlanta muralist Greg Mike’s Larry Loudmouf character. Mike sells the refurbished cameras wrapped with his signatory design for $250 each.
“I like to go all over the city and find all the murals,” she said. “I like all the bright colors and the fun and positive energy that it all brings out. It always makes me smile.”
Lacee Star with her Polaroid camera
Star’s fandom runs deep. She follows the new works of her favorite muralists, including Greg Mike and Wolfdog, a champion of expressionism with a bright color palette. A week before this street art treasure hunt, she took pictures of East Point’s mural featuring The Artist Formerly Known as Prince during a bachelorette party.
There’s now more art for Star to enjoy. Artists affiliated with ABV, Greg Mike’s art agency based in the neighborhood, recently painted 13 new murals in East Atlanta Village, a project supported by corporate sponsorship. They also painted two new pieces in Inman Park, and one in Little Five Points.
Mike hopes more restaurants will donate their walls for murals. His agency doesn’t have data on how many people patronize a restaurant after mural-seeking, but he suspects the artwork helps people discover neighborhoods and businesses they may have otherwise overlooked.
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