The Bernice Garden, a private urban garden available for public use in downtown Little Rock, is conveying the timbre of the South Main Street community in a mural being painted on the north wall of the original StageWorks Building at 1510 South Main in downtown Little Rock.

The mural depicts a skillet of cornbread singing to a variety of more than 25 fruit and vegetables - all locally grown but welcoming visitors throughout the universe. The mural will be approximately 16.5 ft. x 140 ft. when complete and celebrates the community, events like the Arkansas Cornbread Festival and The Bernice Garden Farmers' Market, and the sustainability movement within the area. "It is simply meant to be fun, silly and add some color to the area," said Steven Otis, designer and artist of the mural. "But, in a way, I think it also represents the future of eating healthy, locally-grown produce as well as the artistic spirit that is blooming on South Main Street."

Otis worked with Anita Davis, the owner of The Bernice Garden and several other properties in the 14th Street block of South Main Street, to develop the concept of the mural. He and Shannon Wallace, another muralist, presently are painting the piece and estimate it will be finished in about a month. "We're having a blast," Otis said. "Hopefully, when it is complete, it will bring some smiles and joy to the community."

For more information about the mural or The Bernice Garden, visit http://www.TheBerniceGarden.org

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