Bellwood Coffee painted over a mural and missed what matters most

The owners of an Atlanta-based coffee shop founded their business on the belief that coffee brings people together, but a recent blunder at their newest location in Grant Park threatened to tear the community apart.

During the build-out of Bellwood Coffee on Boulevard Southeast, a mural featuring the late local news icon, Jovita Moore, was covered with dark gray paint and company signage.

Moore was a reporter and anchor for Channel 2 Action News from 1998 until she was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer in 2021. She also gave her time and support to various Atlanta organizations.

Artist Tommy Bronx painted the 18-by-60-foot mural on the side of the building in November 2021, just a few weeks after Moore’s death. Commissioned by Atlanta United Soccer, the mural was part of a series highlighting trailblazers across the city.

In response to the outcry from some area residents online, Bellwood Coffee founders, Joel and Charles Norman, said that while they knew Moore’s story, they didn’t know how much the mural meant to the community. They had to cut into the mural to install a window on that side of the building, they said.

But that response only brought more disappointment and division. Their customers split into factions: those who believe Bellwood’s owners — who lease the building — have the right to do as they please, and those who believe they were dismissive and insensitive by not considering community sentiments.

I fall into the latter group because I know that murals mean different things to different people.

Back in December, I wrote this about community concerns over a mural in south Atlanta: “Response to the mural has highlighted the delicate dance between neighborhood residents, artists and other stakeholders in the creation of community art, particularly when that art depicts people and events rooted in the community’s history.”

Different neighborhoods. Different circumstances. But the lesson is the same — community art is for the community and the unique perspectives of the people who live there deserve some consideration.

Moore’s mural was part of an initiative established in 2017 to honor Atlanta United supporters. The “Spirit of 17″, was a reference to the hometown team standing with Atlanta residents in “battles on and off the pitch.”

Nine murals, located in different neighborhoods around the city, featured 17 icons whose work in the community inspired local artists. Each artist painted a mural in their own neighborhood.

Other murals included Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan restaurants; Latisha Springer, creator of Atlanta’s Free99fridges; and Bem Joiner, Ian Ford and Tory Edwards, the founders of “Atlanta Influences Everything.”

I reached out to Bronx to get his thoughts, but didn’t get a response. He later posted a statement reflecting on how powerful it has been to see the impact Moore’s mural has had on the community.

“Seeing it painted over is tough,” he said. “Public art lives in the people and the place it’s created for and this one clearly resonated.” Bronx said he hoped future actions would reflect the love that everyone has shown for the mural.

Bellwood Coffee currently serves several Atlanta neighborhoods, all of which have a different character. In some of those neighborhoods, the character has changed significantly over time.

I imagine residents in these enclaves are happy to see amenities like restaurants and coffeehouses, but they also want to know that business owners are invested and interested in their communities.

Murals aren’t just paint on walls. We may not know the names, faces or impact of all the people honored or featured in murals across metro Atlanta, but there is someone out there who does.

The owners of Bellwood should have considered that a 5-year-old mural commissioned by the hometown soccer team which serves as a tribute to a beloved local journalist was probably going to be meaningful and important to some residents in the area.

In a statement posted to their social media account, Bellwood’s owners acknowledged the error.

“We made a mistake and acted without enough consideration, and that is not reflective of the kind of people we want to be. For the 7 years that we have had this business, our heart has always been to build community in our city, yet this decision is driving us apart from many in our dear Atlanta community.”

They pledged to commission another mural and to slow down before making impactful decisions.