Conway mural project to be finished by June 30

The F.G. Burroughs should be sailing smoothly by the end of June.

Nearly a year after Lisa Parrish launched the effort to preserve the landmark mural across from Conway City Hall, an artist has been selected, donations have been earmarked and the project is ready to begin. Supporters expect it to be finished before July 1.

“I am so happy,” said Parrish, who owns the building that serves as the mural’s canvas. “I feel so blessed that we’re able to finally get this going so the community can have something that they can be proud of once again.”

The artwork depicting the Burroughs steamship floating down the Waccamaw River has anchored the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue since 1983. But the wall that holds the mural must be repaired because of extensive water damage.

Initially, contractors told Parrish the mural couldn’t be saved because of the construction needed to fix it. A committee was formed to develop ideas for the mural and the group held a contest, asking artists to submit renderings for a new design. Their thinking was that Coastal Carolina University’s mural class would take that image and paint it on the wall in May.

But the committee didn’t like any of the submissions better than the original artwork and liability concerns were raised about students working on private property. So Parrish reached an agreement with Myrtle Beach artist Tommy Simpson, who will tackle the repairs and restore the mural using renderings from the original artist.

Simpson is being paid $10,000. The City of Conway pledged $5,000 to the project and Burroughs and Chapin Co. Inc. committed $5,000. Along with those contributions, Parrish said Sherwin-Williams of Conway is donating the paint and Socastee’s Comeback Rentals is paying for the artist’s lifts.

Parrish said there have been other costs associated with the project, including analysis from a structural engineer. She estimates she’s paid about a third of the expenses out of her own pocket, including reprinting her cookbook as a fundraiser.

During Monday night’s Conway City Council meeting, City Administrator Bill Graham announced Simpson’s hiring.

“We’re just going back to the mural and getting just as close as we can to what was there originally,” he said. “That’s the plan.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Conway mural project to be finished by June 30."