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U Create Macon celebrates Pleasant Hill residents with living mural

The nonprofit organization decided to honor the Pleasant Hill community and its members through art

MACON, Ga. — At the corner of Third Avenue and Ward Street, the building formerly known as Harveys Grocery Store is looking a little different.

The building now houses non-profit organization, U Create Macon, whose founder Charise Stephens decided to turn the building's walls into a living mural.

She was inspired after seeing the "pop-up" mural at Mercer University taken down.

"Artists were saying, 'Gosh, I really wish I had a wall,' and I'm thinking, 'I have four walls and would love to have some creative things done to them,'" says Stephens.

Stephens reached out to Macon photographer Dsto Moore to help her use the building to celebrate members of the Pleasant Hill community.

"He's from Pleasant Hill. I'm from Pleasant Hill. Our building's in Pleasant Hill and it just worked out perfectly," says Stephens.

Now, four of Moore's portraits have been hung up on the building's walls, honoring longstanding members of the community like Bernice Cotton and late basketball legend Hook McCarthy.

The wall also features Moore's mother, Yvonne Moore, and grandfather, Buddy Barron. 

At 99 years old, Barron is the oldest resident in Pleasant Hill.

"Everybody got a story to tell over here and I want to tell the story through my photography," says Moore. "I believe that if you give people stuff like this, they can see where they come from -- they come from good seeds."

Over time, portraits of different members of the neighborhood will be added to the wall.

Stephens wants people to in her neighborhood to celebrate and learn from each other's experiences.

"The whole neighborhood raised me," says Stephens. "If you really listen to our older citizens about what's going on, it'll just educate you on a whole other level."

In addition to Moore's photography, Tipsy Artz owner Tiara Ponce will also add painting of influential African-Americans who came from Macon.

If you would like to get a closer look at the living mural, visit it at 2000 Third Avenue.

RELATED: Macon nonprofit donates wall for a new mural honoring African-Americans

RELATED: Artist says mural removal took Mercer 'a half century back'

RELATED: Mercer University won't comment on why black history mural was removed

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