Spencer Whitley, Jr. finds inspiration at Overton Park
Overton Park has been central to the artistic life of the city since Brooks Museum opened its doors more than 100 years ago. To honor that legacy, the Conservancy engages local artists to design everything from sculptural gateways to t-shirts. For our 2019 shirts, we were thrilled to work with an emerging artist who spends nearly every day in the park as a member of our cleaning and maintenance team.
Spencer Whitley, Jr., better known as LJ, is part of the Pinnacle Perpetual Services crew led by his uncle Ron Teamer. The team’s primary role is daily cleaning, but over their three years working in the park, LJ says they’ve become a kind of park ranger crew, making sure visitors have a positive experience.
A 2013 Bolton High graduate, LJ always loved to draw but had been searching for his own style. A chance meeting during one of his shifts at Overton Park with Greg Cravens, a nationally syndicated cartoonist, gave him the opportunity to take his skills to the next level. Their conversation about art grew into a mentorship, with Greg first offering to take a look at LJ’s work and then bringing him in as an assistant on several projects. They’ve now been working together for over a year.
“Greg has put my art skills through the ringer to draw out my God-given ability to its fullest potential,” LJ says. “My favorite artwork of all-time is the Sistine Chapel–the fact that Michelangelo painted all of that on his back on a ladder, I can’t even begin to fathom that. But when I see what Greg does in his studio, that’s kind of like my Sistine Chapel. I can’t go to Rome right now, but that’s a place where I can create.”
LJ’s work caught the attention of the Conservancy staff, and we asked him to design our 2019 shirt. He chose a graffiti-style hand-lettered design that celebrates the different ways people use the park. While working on that shirt, he had inspiration for a an additional design featuring a tennis ball that goes rogue during a game of fetch.
“One day before work, I was watching Looney Tunes and one character was trying to catch another, but ultimately got so frustrated that he broke down and just decided to join him. That’s when I incorporated the tennis ball who always tries so hard to run away from the dog but always gets caught–because you see so many people at the park playing fetch with their dogs.”
Although LJ loves many kinds of art, his ambition is to become an architectural designer. He wants to help people reflect who they are inwardly in the outward appearance of their homes.
As he hones his craft, he’ll continue to enjoy the experience of being at Overton Park every day. “The people are the best thing about working at the park,” LJ says. “It has all the best parts of a small town, because you walk in and you’re on a first-name basis with everyone. Even the dogs–if I yell a dog’s name at the dog park, they’ll run up to me.”
He adds, “If Overton Park were a TV show, I would definitely watch. The park is a character all on its own. You have so many different elements working together to create this place that’s big enough that you can have your own space, but small enough that you don’t feel lost.”
The experience is enhanced by working alongside his family. “They hold me to such a high standard, and their support has been overwhelming. When they saw the shirts, you would have thought I built the Eiffel Tower–especially my mom, because she won’t tell me she likes something just to say so!”
Look for both shirts at park events. Overton Park Roots members also receive t-shirts as a benefit to their membership.
