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By Tracy Salter, Greenville Chamber of Commerce

Alabama folk artist, Très Taylor, is working to spark a “Revolution of Joy’” by

painting community murals in the Black Belt region of Alabama, and Greenville,

Alabama is next on his stop.

The “Revolution of Joy” series is a team effort between Taylor and Can’d Aid, a

Colorado-based nonprofit that works to provide access to and cultivate a love of

art, music and culture in rural communities. The community-building public art

project, which he began in 2018, involves local volunteers joining in to paint the

large-scale murals he designs and sketches on buildings.

Trés is a self-taught artist who feels a paint brush fell from the sky over 20 years

ago. He left his career in biochemistry to pursue his new found passion. This leap

of faith has led him to many successes in the art world. He is widely collected,

showing his work in a few galleries and at the top art festivals in the country. He

has had several one-man shows and installations and is in a few corporate and

museum collections. He and his wife Helene recently moved to Selma, Alabama to center

their lives in community arts. Trés is already producing murals in small rural towns

in the area and is partnering with his community to bring economic development to

Selma using the arts.

“My vision has been to create a route of murals that would inspire tourists to travel

to these little Black Belt towns,” Taylor said. “Art drives tourism and commerce. If I

can be the seed that brings other artists to the area to create their own murals, it

could be a great boom for the economies of the towns.”

Greenville resident, Magoo Hamilton, who was instrumental in getting Greenville

secured on the map for this statewide project, said she is thrilled to have Très and

Can’d Aid in the Camellia City.

“We have been working for almost two years to make this happen,” Hamilton said.

“Scheduling and COVID have been a challenge, but Très’ commitment to this mural

trail will not be deterred. I’d like to give a huge shout out to Tracy Salter and the

Chamber of Commerce for her support and help and also to Mr. Earnest Dean

and the Johnson Furniture Family for sharing this wonderful wall with all of

Greenville. I hope everyone will join us in celebrating the joy we have as a

community.”

The Camellia City “Revolution of Joy” community mural project is set for April 2

and 3. The mural will be located at 200 W. Commerce Street on the side of the

Johnson Furniture building.

The public is invited to join in on the fun and help paint.

For more information or questions, call Magoo Hamilton at 334-301-8832.

Sign up information is below:

Link to Sign Up

https://candaid.salsalabs.org/revolutionofjoy/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3WAy51mYb2GRZNWtvdY3FPeq3Essl5qiaj_jPt0tmdn5FTlgtAWvroZuY