Athens Main Street to cut ribbon on Merchant’s Alley
Published 4:00 am Thursday, November 4, 2021
It’s been a project 11 months in the making, but nonprofit Athens Main Street will soon be officially unveiling the fruits of its labor in downtown Athens.
Main Street has been working to transform an alleyway beside its office at 107 N. Jefferson St. into a place people would like to visit and spend time in. The project, called Merchant’s Alley, features several pieces of colorful artwork all done locally with a musical theme, “Amplify Athens,” throughout.
Main Street will host a ribbon cutting at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. Refreshments will be available, and Brad Mallette will provide live music.
The space includes seating, so visitors can enjoy food purchased at one of the nearby establishments or simply hang out on site.
According to Athens Main Street, artist Adam Stephenson and assistant Pamela Tellez Coria completed work on the focal point of the music-themed alley. Entitled “Playing the Sound of the Wind” the fiddler’s song resonates through this vibrantly colored mural spanning 20-feet high by 40-feet wide. Funded in part by Athens State University Foundation, the work of art aims to pay respect to the Foundation’s annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
Alabama Center for the Arts students created art passages that alley visitors can open doors to take them on a journey through art, according to Athens Main Street. Students from local high schools worked with Athens Arts League created ‘Instagrammable’ spots as well.
“We want to invite the community to come celebrate the wonderful art in Merchant’s Alley in downtown Athens,” said Athens Main Street Executive Director Tere Richardson. “We want to encourage patrons to use this alley as a hangout spot as they shop and dine in historic downtown Athens.”
The project is now part of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association’s North Alabama Mural Trail.
“The trail has hundreds of murals throughout the 16 most northern counties in Alabama,” Athens Main Street said in a release. “We invite all patrons to hashtag their photos and videos with #AthensAmplified and #NorthALMurals.”
