Ava Gardner Mural Brought to Life by the Ava Gardner Museum 

The Ava Gardner Mural, located on the side of the Ava Gardner Museum and visible to west bound traffic on Market Street in Downtown Smithfield, is the culmination of nearly a year of hard work by the Museum's staff and board of directors. The Ava Gardner Mural is part of a larger project that will also include a soon-to-be revealed memorial rose garden. The mural and rose garden are the start of the Ava Gardner Museum's initiatives to mark "AVA 100" - Ava’s 100th Birthday on Christmas Eve of 2022. The festivities will kick into high gear with the Ava Gardner Festival, October 7-9, 2022, and continue in 2023 with the Museum celebrating "AVA 100" with special events, original programming, virtual offerings, and more throughout Ava's centennial year.
North Carolina native and Greensboro artist, JEKS ONE was selected to bring the Ava Gardner Mural to life. You can see his other works at Jeksone.com or on Instagram @Jeks_NC. Funding for this "AVA 100" project was provided by the Joy W. Pope Memorial Grant and the Johnston County Arts Council.
Learn more about the upcoming Ava Gardner Festival and purchase event tickets by visiting: avagardnerfestival.com.
Video Credit: Public Information Office, Johnston County North Carolina