Check out the giant new mural in Five Points

There’s a giant new mural being painted on the side of Pecknel Music in Five Points that will show the diversity and excitement of the funky urban village near the University of South Carolina.

The idea was hatched 18 months ago, shortly after the Exxon station in the center of Five Points was sold, razed, and leased to the city of Columbia for parking.

“That left a huge blank wall that was a perfect canvas,” said Pecknel manager Paul Morgan.

So the Five Points Association, Pecknel Music, Drip Coffee and One Columbia for Arts and History banded together to commission the mural.

Wisconsin artist Chad Brady’s proposal was chosen from dozens submitted for the $21,000 project. The design has big block letters spelling out FIVE POINTS with illustrations of things to do in Five Points.

“He captured what Five Points wanted to portray,” said Lee Snelgrove, execute director of One Columbia. “The shopping, the dining, the night life. And it’s got a nice three- dimensional feel to it.”

Brady said the mural will be competed in about two weeks.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Check out the giant new mural in Five Points."