It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it’s really a great story. What do a food artist, an interior designer and a nurse have in common? If you answered the Leland Mural Project, you’re right!
As featured in Cape Fear Voices, last month, Mimi and Papa’s Gourmet Popcorn and Sweet Shop, located at 324 Village Road in Leland (behind Domino’s Pizza) wanted to be more visible from the street and invite more customers in to sample their homemade treats.
Their daughter, Misty Pelliciotta, loved walking by the innovative and colorful murals in the downtown business district of Charlotte and thought the same concept would work well in Leland. Her vision was to create something bright and eye-catching that would appeal to residents and business owners in the area.
Her first step was to reach out to the Town of Leland and businesses in close proximity to her parents shop to gauge their interest and reaction to the idea. She started with Steve Kennedy, owner of Sweet Nectar Florist, who agreed with Misty—this was a good idea and would make the area more visually appealing. With Steve’s help, Misty was introduced to three, very talented local artists; Carol St. Hilaire, Loretta Partin and Ricardo Perez.
Said artist, Carol St. Hilaire, “We started working on ideas and drawings for a theme way back in June, with Ricardo doing most of the design work. I’ve never painted a mural on an outside concrete wall before, so this was totally new to me. First, we had to power wash the wall and put an primer and sealer on it. If you don’t put a masonry primer on the surface, you run the risk of the finished product peeling and cracking over time and the sealer stops moisture from seeping through the concrete. We decided that outdoor acrylic paints were the best option to use because they are easy to apply and weather resistant.”
Carol continued, “We decided to use the four seasons as our inspiration and used sidewalk chalk to outline our ideas. Because of town restrictions regarding advertising on the street, we were not able to put the names of the businesses who are supporting the project, but we got creative and included various design elements that illustrate what types of businesses are involved. For example, we used a hummingbird to represent Sweet Nectar Florist. These are going to be colorful walls where you can take selfies or group photos against a really fun background.”
Loretta Partin added, “When I heard about the project, I thought it was a great idea. Everyone is on board. Mimi and Papa’s contributed all of the materials, and they bring us water and treats to keep us going. The Brunswick Art Council gave us some equipment and some ideas on how to proceed. When I heard about the project, I got so excited thinking about what we could create, I didn’t even think about the summertime heat. We learned very quickly to paint in the early morning. Weather is a huge factor when you are doing a project like this. It’s been a lot of fun for all of us. People would see us painting and stop by to find out about the project. The idea of the four seasons was something people liked; there is so much you can put into the mural itself. This has been lots of fun for me.”
Ricardo Perez, who is the president of The Art League of Leland, agrees, “I am amazed at how many people and businesses are supporting this project—it’s really a community effort. We really want people to shop local and support our local businesses. This really focuses on how a few people can make a big difference and how it can change the face of a plain, under-utilized area into something attractive that people can enjoy.”
Discussing the process, Ricardo said, “I did a lot of the freehand drawing on the concrete wall. Initially, it was challenging; how do you take an 11×17 drawing and translate the subject, the scale and the detail to this large, blank canvas? It got easier over time, and I think we all had a great time doing it. We even had Local Girl Scout Troop 4253 help with some of the painting. It was a community project for them, but also a lot of fun. The first wall will be done by Halloween and I’m hoping the second wall will be completed by December 1. It’s all weather related. To me, art is related to storytelling, and we are telling a good story not only by making the area more esthetically pleasing, but by the commitment and support we have received from so many people.”
Getting back to a food artist, an interior designer and a nurse, who are the talented artists working on the project?
Ricardo Perez wasn’t always out in the heat painting, he spent 42 years as a National Park Service Ranger, a job he said was “lots of storytelling.” His service and love of nature led him to the world of art. After retiring from the Park Service and moving here, Ricardo realized that Brunswick County was an ideal spot for an artist—the beauty of the landscape and the number of artistic communities within our borders gave him many opportunities to explore his talent and learn from others. He said, “I started painting dogs and then landscapes and then I started doing portraits. His talent and his storytelling ability were evident when he presented his work, “Art of the Historic Foodways Project” at Aces Gallery of Wilmington this summer. “Think about the croissant,” he said explaining his project. “People think the croissant is a French pastry. I think the French elevated it to the form we know now, but the croissant originated in Austria, as a way of celebrating the Austrian army’s victory over the Turks in 1683. Food origins are a wonderful way to explore history.”
Fellow artist, Carol St. Hilaire’s roots are in interior design. After the death of her first husband in 1998, she sold her business and moved to Florida where she worked in a design firm for over 10 years. It was on a business trip to the Greensboro area that she met her second husband. She said, “I was travelling, and my flight was delayed. I started chatting with another passenger and we exchanged business cards. He eventually sent me an email asking me out to dinner. He worked for an international engineering firm and transferred to the Raleigh area. We’ve been married now for 14 years. Once she retired, she started painting; an interest she had for quite some time. She paints with an air of joy; doing mainly floral and landscapes with an occasional round, blue bird settled happily on a branch, just for fun. She shows her work at the Leland Cultural Arts Center through the Art League of Leland. Her paintings and greeting cards can also be found in Sweet Nectar Florists.
Loretta Partin focused on her nursing career, taking an occasional art class in Burlington, North Carolina, at the Art League of Burlington. She has lived in Brunswick County since 2018 and shows her work at Sweet Nectar Florists and at the Leland Culture Arts Center, again, through the Art League of Leland. She said, “I love painting. I paint abstracts, still life, people and landscapes. I find it fun and relaxing. Art takes you to a new dimension of yourself when you are working on something you enjoy.” Loretta did a series of paintings for spring called, “The Wren and the Lady Bug,” in 2014.
All three artists are member of the Art League of Leland, whose mission is, “Dedicated to the cultural enrichment of Leland through the promotion of arts by local artists. The Art League of Leland, (ALL) encourages, guides, supports, informs and provides learning opportunities for artists and advocates of the arts.”
So, back to the original question–What do a food artist, an interior designer and a nurse have in common? The answer is easy, the joy of creating and expression through art and sharing it with a grateful community.
Watch for updates on the Mural Project and make sure you stop into Mimi’s and Papa’s to say thank you for a wonderful idea and addition to the Leland landscape.
