project overview
EXTERIOR MURAL | ALCENIA’S RESTAURANT
BJ Chester-Tamayo opened Alcenia’s in 1997 to heal her heart after the untimely death of her son. She wasn’t a cook and had never worked in a restaurant. She used her mother’s recipes and called her mom in Mississippi often to make sure preparations were right. Alcenia Chester-Clark (1921–2019) was an amazing cook, a loving mother and friend, and an all-around phenomenal person. She—along with BJ’s granddaughter, Alcenia Tamayo,—is our restaurant’s namesake and constant inspiration and will remain in our hearts and souls forever. Today, more than 20 years later, Alcenia’s continues to bring people together, fill their bellies and put smiles on their faces. Their mission: welcome guests warmly, serve delectable soul food, keep the love flowing.
The new mural is a tribute to the family history and legacy of Ms. B.J. Chester-Tomayo, her longevity and the mouth-watering, awe-inspiring Soul Food cuisine at Alcenia’s restaurant. As for the concept, “I didn’t think painting pictures of food would be the best idea, because I wanted to create symbols that represent the feeling of people of all races loving the food from the skillets of the World Famous Alcenia’s,” Larry explains.
“Alcenia’s restaurant is a world-class and world-recognized restaurant where people come from all around the world to eat & experience the love of Memphis soul food. You will also notice at the top of the Mural the skillets that represent the variety of dishes that people love about this restaurant.”
Artist Larry Walker at stops to explain his design thought process for this mural
““As the artist selected for this wall, I dug even deeper. I asked Ms. B.J. ‘What do you want on the wall? What do you want to see every day? And what do you want it to represent?’””
Ms. B.J. hopes the artwork will bring renewed attention to the business and is the cherry on top of her newly renovated space after surviving pandemic. As for the design, she says “Everyone loves it. They’ve been very positive about it, saying that it’s inspiring - we need as much beauty as possible to attract people to that end.”
“I want Alcenia’s to be a place that feeds the heart, head & stomach.
Hopefully it will now also take your breath away.
”
Owner, Ms. B.J. Chester-Tamayo, details what the mural signifies for her after 25 years of hard work and love.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Larry Walker
Larry Walker was born in Memphis, TN. In 1975, Walker was awarded a full scholarship to the Memphis College of Art, where he received his four years of formal art training. After college, he received many national awards and recognition: one of his most notable achievements is the national Grumbacher Art Award. This prestigious award is only given to elite artists in the United States of America for outstanding abilities in the field of fine arts. Walker is committed to motivating young artists to help them develop confidence through the world of art. This may be why he was considered the most requested artist with Arts Memphis for eight years in the Artist-In-The-School program.
In 1990, Walker produced a popular five year run community arts television talk-show entitled Personal Portrait, which aired on a Memphis cable television community channel.
In 1994, the Tennessee Historic Council in Nashville commissioned Walker to create a 30” X 36” oil painting of civil rights activist and newspaper publisher Ida B. Wells. The original painting is still hanging in the Tennessee State Capital in Nashville as a part of the Tennessee Historic Council’s permanent historic art collection.
In 2011, Walker was personally asked by former Mayor Willie W. Herenton, the first elected African American Mayor of Memphis, to paint his official portrait for the Memphis Hall of Mayors. During that same year, Walker was also commissioned by the Memphis Shelby County office to paint a portrait of former Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton for the Shelby County Hall of Mayors.
Walker is also an inventor; his latest invention is Paint Yourself Clean. This product is a fun and informative personal hygiene set for kids.
