VALDOSTA – Downtown Valdosta has unveiled its latest treasure, a vibrant mural reminiscent of a life-sized postcard, capturing the essence of the community’s history and identity.

According to Brandie Dame, Valdosta Downtown Main Street director, the concept for the mural has been in development for the last two months.

The Public Art Advisory Committee and Sonia Velez-Hoy, the Dasher Building owner, collaborated to generate ideas, aiming to highlight Valdosta’s distinctive features.

The artist behind the artwork is Taylor Shaw.

Shaw has a bachelor of fine arts in painting from Mississippi State University and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Georgia and started painting murals independently approximately eight years ago while pursuing his graduate degree.

The idea for the mural was initially proposed by Jess Ganas from Curate, and subsequent meetings were held with the Public Art Advisory Committee, Velez-Hoy, the artist and professor Steven Walker, the Historic Preservation Society and other city representatives.

Creating the mural involved several iterations and fine-tuning. Shaw incorporated imagery that holds significance to the community, aiming to capture its essence and diversity.

Aesthetically, he drew inspiration from vintage postcards, blending contemporary and retro elements in his work.

“The fonts from mid-century design mixed with spray paint techniques and gradients. We’re always stuck someplace between the past and present and I try to let my designs capture that sense of nostalgia while remaining in the present day,” he said.

The mural depicts Valdosta State University’s logo and the Liberty Theatre, a historic African American theater that opened in 1935 and still stands under the Beck Overpass.

The mural also incorporates historical elements such as Gypsy the Elephant, a large Asian elephant that killed her trainer, broke free from a parade on Patterson Street and went on a rampage in Valdosta before eventually being shot down north of town by police.

Other highlights include a canoe, symbolizing the community’s love for canoeing on the Withlacoochee River, as well as a homage to Valdosta’s historic involvement in Coca-Cola bottling.

Blueberries, a prominent agricultural product in the region, pays tribute to the annual Bluesberry Festival.

Due to weather-related delays, the mural took approximately 12 days to complete.

Describing the mural as a “placemaking” endeavor, Dame said it aligns with the Main Street community’s emphasis on creating distinctive spaces.

“This is going to be another staple piece for downtown. We love bringing art to Valdosta because that attracts tourists of all ages. It’s a beautiful piece of art that will be there forever, and we’re hoping that we can add more public art pieces like that in the future,” she said.