by Beth Riner, Messenger Staff Writer

A large angel wing mural will soon grace the side of The Lemon Fair, and owner Andrea Woodard-Evans hopes someone local will design it.

She asks that students, local artists, and other creative folks submit designs to the Angel Wing Mural Contest called “What Does Your Sewanee Angel Look Like?” by Friday, May 19, 2023. Submissions may be emailed to <info@thelemonfairsewanee.com> or dropped off at the store at 60 University Avenue in downtown Sewanee.

A charming legend says that angels flocked to Sewanee when it was first created because it was so beautiful, and that everyone who sets foot on the Domain receives a guardian angel for protection.

The Lemon Fair became famous for the story of the Sewanee angels back in the 1980s when a former owner asked a songwriter friend to write about the legend and had an employee illustrate it. The simple angel story took wings, eventually resulting in the phrase “Protected by a Sewanee Angel” becoming trademarked.

Woodard-Evans stressed the importance of creativity in the mural design. Whether the design is in color or simply white is up to the submitting artist. “We want the community to decide what the Sewanee Angel looks like to them.”

A panel of judges will select the winning design, which will be painted on the side of the building adjacent to the Sewanee Angel Park. “If the winner is an artist who wishes to paint the mural, that’s fine,” Woodard-Evans said, “or we will hire a painter to do it.” Persons interested in doing the actual painting should contact her as well.

“We hope this is a mural that people will stand in front of to take pictures and tag on social media and get the name of the downtown Sewanee area out there,” she added.

All contest submissions will be used to create notecards, greeting cards, coffee mugs, or tea towels, with proceeds going to the Sewanee Community Chest, a nonprofit which supports local organizations who serve the common good. Past recipients include Sewanee Elementary School, Folks at Home, Sewanee Senior Center, the Community Action Committee, and the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance.

Woodard-Evans and her husband, Scott Evans, who are both Nashville-based realtors, bought the iconic downtown store nearly two years ago. She brought her fellow realtor and friend, Dan Groover, on board as a business partner since he had retail experience.

“We bought the store in the summer of 2021 and had the idea for the mural from the start. It just took time to get approvals,” Woodard-Evans said, noting that the university and the Sewanee Business Alliance are both excited about the mural.

She plans to have an unveiling event for the mural, possibly at the start of school or even Reunion Weekend.

Since buying the store, which has continuously operated for more than 50 years, Woodard-Evans has painstakingly remodeled the front interior by removing an old loft to vault the ceiling, which is now accented with wood beams and a stunning light fixture reminiscent of the Sewanee Inn.

While Woodard-Evans and Groover go to the Dallas and Atlanta markets to source merchandise, long-time employee Zory Deering handles the day-to-day operations along with a small team of part-time student workers.

“Business is going great,” Woodard-Evans said. “It’s been a lot of fun getting to know the locals.”

She and Groover have added new merchandise to the store: clothes, jewelry, home goods, dorm room décor, and food items from Stonewall Kitchens and Bourbon Barrel.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the store’s large Sewanee section. The Sewanee Angels and souvenir section owes its origin to former owner, Gay Alvarez. “We’re very proud to carry on her legacy. We sell local pottery and works by local artists like Bob Askew. We have lots of Protected by a Sewanee Angel merchandise. Baby clothes and onesies. We have Sewanee books,” she said.

One nice perk for locals is a 15 percent discount.

“We’ve really loved becoming part of the community,” Woodard-Evans added. “Please pop in and introduce yourself. We love meeting new people.”

The Lemon Fair is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.