A once-faded retaining wall along one of Alabama’s busiest highways has been transformed into a vibrant public mural—and the inspiration for a new community campaign supporting vulnerable children and families.
Embrace Alabama Kids has completed a large-scale mural along U.S. 280 near Overton Road in Mountain Brook and launched a 28-day digital giving campaign called “Turn Traffic into Transformation.” The campaign invites the more than 100,000 drivers who pass the site daily to help raise awareness and support for children and families across Alabama.
Painted by Birmingham muralist Shawn Fitzwater, the ten-foot-tall, 80-foot-wide mural depicts three iconic Mountain Brook landmarks: the Old Mill House, the Jemison Trail Bridge and Mountain Brook Village. The colorful three-panel design now greets commuters traveling one of the region’s most heavily traveled corridors.
For Rebecca McKinney Morris of Embrace Alabama Kids, the mural’s location was the catalyst for something bigger.
“It quickly became clear that this could be more than just public art – it could become a way to connect thousands of people who drive this corridor every day with the mission of serving vulnerable children across Alabama,” Morris said. That idea led to the launch of Turn Traffic into Transformation, a 28-day campaign which began Tuesday, March 10. Supporters are encouraged to give $28, $280, $2,800 or any amount to help provide services for children and families served by Embrace Alabama Kids.
“You drove past it,” Morris said. “Now consider driving change.”
The mural project itself began when Morris returned to Mountain Brook last December and noticed the faded artwork along the retaining wall, which had not been repainted since the 1990s. After reaching out to state and local officials, she connected with State Senator Dan Roberts and Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith who supported the effort to revitalize the corridor. The project was made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor who funded the mural in its entirety.
Morris then enlisted Fitzwater, a well-known muralist whose work appears across Birmingham and beyond.
“We are deeply grateful to Embrace Alabama Kids for this stunning mural that captures Mountain Brook’s iconic landmarks,” Mayor Smith said. “Their generous spirit has done more than brighten a once-neglected corridor. It reminds us that when public and private partners come together with a shared purpose, transformative projects are possible.”
Founded in 1890, Embrace Alabama Kids serves more than 1,100 children and families each year through foster care, family preservation programs, crisis support and residential services.
For more information or to participate, visit embracealkids.org.
