"It's all about revitalization of old communities, and much more," he said.Īlthough the Spring Run Bridge is not yet open to the public, the water tower is visible from the trailhead parking area. Many of Johnson's students have ventured back into their home communities and have established themselves as "the artist" in that area, and Johnson said that's "really cool stuff." "The students go and do the prep work, so the idea is that they come to Andrew, learn the skills, and then, go out into the communities and make big changes." "I take my students out, we meet with communities to figure out the aesthetics of what they want to achieve and highlight the design, then coordinate that with the people to complete the design, which is a big part of what we do," Johnson said. Johnson, a professor of art at Andrew College in Cuthbert, has a philosophy of fostering change in communities through public art, and he works to instill this philosophy in his students. Working around what he referred to as a "loose plan that would change and evolve into the final piece," Johnson had originally slated three weeks to complete the mural, but the creation flowed much faster, placing his completion in an impressive less-than-two-weeks time span. "The Flint River is alive in the background of the tower, and the turtles are everywhere, even on the water meter covers that lead back to the river," the artist said.
I'm convinced it's in love with the large blue herring that stands tall on one side of the tower, because it keeps coming back."Īlthough Johnson said he sketched around the tower each day in the less than two-week span he took to finish this creation, and spent time on areas as it came to him, the last component was the turtle because he felt the turtle not only provided a symbolic meaning for the area but also was a creature of resilience, adapting to both land and water, which added to the strength of Radium Springs. "They are such graceful creatures, and I've even had one that's been hanging out around the tower as I've painted.
"The blue herring is one of my favorite animals," Johnson said. In fact, on one side, visitors to the tower are struck with vivid imagery of Native Americans and their canoes, while on opposite sides, a majestic blue herring is on watch and the great turtle native to the area is on the land, marking its symbolic territory. "The painted skies will definitely reflect the changing seasons as they happen at Radium Springs, and that was one of my primary goals," Johnson said.Ĭascading down the water tower from the sky flows artistic renderings of the casino, the Native American heritage that is part of Radium Springs and nature itself, including the habitat and wildlife of the area. The orange colors that are melted into the sky signify fire and winds, which were the two things that eventually led to the casino's demolition. At the top of the tower, the sky plays a prominent role in telling the story of the area, especially through the dark blue clouds, signifying the storms that had ripped through the area.
"Murals hold a significant meaning of an area, and I had to package every aspect of what this area had been through in this creation," Johnson said.Ĭounty leaders requested a nature theme, and that's where it all started with Johnson's creation. Residing in Albany during the Great Flood of 1994, the fire of 2000 and witnessing the devastation of the old casino, which was eventually demolished, Johnson said that when he was approached by county leaders to create the mural on the water tower at the Spring Run Bridge, he wanted to really reflect on the location and all the significant events around what had happened in the area. As a child, he said, he has many fond memories of growing up in Radium Springs and even playing golf at the old Radium Springs Golf Course. For most artists, a personal tie to a meaningful work of art is the norm, but for Johnson it went a little deeper and into his childhood roots of fond memories at Radium Springs.Īt around age 11, Johnson and his family moved to Albany when his dad transitioned to Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany. 4-ALBANY - Revitalization of what was once a thriving Radium Springs community led local artist Chris Johnson to work on the now freshly finished mural at the Radium Springs water tower.
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