Located on the north-facing wall of a North Limestone building that was formerly home to George’s Deli, the mural “The Mother of Us All” by Baltimore-based artist Gaia is a tribute to Lexington historical figure Sweet Evening Breeze (1892-1983), an iconic cross-dressing hospital orderly who is considered by many to be the originator of Lexington’s drag scene. The mural was sourced from several images from the Faulkner Morgan Archive, a local organization dedicated to preserving the history and telling the story of the Lexington LGBTQ community, including a photograph from the 1970s by John Ashley also called ”The Mother of Us All” (the prominent photo making up the left side of the mural).
This is Gaia’s second mural in Lexington for PRHBTN; in 2013, he adorned the Bellaire Avenue-facing wall of West Sixth Brewery with a mural depicting John Hunt’s horse Black Bess, leaping from the pedestal of a Confederate monument (the mural was created several years prior to the removal of the John Hunt monument from downtown Lexington).
"The Mother of Us All" mural by GAIA was created in October 2021 as part of the 10th annual PRHBTN street art celebration. Click here to read more about the event.