Alabama artist Tres Taylor, in partnership with the Blackbelt Benefit Group (BBG), painted a mural over the weekend at Phoenix Park across from the historic St. James Hotel.

Taylor, along with help from AC Reeves, who organized a group of volunteer artists to help with the project, began putting up a sketch of the mural on Friday night.

“I’m exhausted,” said Reeves on Saturday morning, “We didn’t finish the sketch until nearly 3 this morning.”

Reeves’ Husband, Allen along with Cheryl Pettaway-Colvin and Matthew Rhaheem Smith, III were among the volunteers who came out to participate in the project.

A couple of the volunteers expressed their excitement about being involved in the project.

“I am excited about the fact that Selma is becoming what Selma used to be,” said Pettaway-Colvin. “I was born and raised in Selma, so I remember Selma from the 70’s. A lot of people just don’t know what it was like before I’m excited to see change.”

Smith also shared his excitement about the positive feeling that the mural brings to downtown Selma.

“I love Selma,” he said. “Anything to promote Selma, I’m always there for it. I really like all of the energy and life that’s being breathed back into Selma.”

The mural is done in Taylor’s signature style and features a woman riding a bicycle with a basket full of wildflowers and a trail of swallowtail butterflies behind her.

Taylor described the character depicted in the mural as, “the patron saint of wildflowers, swallowtails and the uplifted.”

“The whole idea is that these butterflies are kind of lifting the spirit of communities,” said Taylor.

The mural overlooking Phoenix Park is Taylor’s third. The first was painted in Oaxaca, Mexico and the second in Birmingham.

Taylor said that Selma’s new mural marks the first of several murals in the Black Belt that he’ll dub, “The Revolution of Joy”.

“This whole thing is kind of about moving forward and planting seeds,” said Taylor. “Let’s all embrace joy.”

Taylor said his next spot for “The Revolution of Joy” is already in the works, he has spots picked out in both Marion and Greensboro.