Lela Marie Williams

Lela Williams was an artist from the Central City neighborhood. A resident of the original Metropolitan Gardens housing project, she became an art assistant in the SOE studios in 1995 joining her sons Anthony and Antoine as part of the SOE artistic team. During her time at SOE, she was a fixture in the studios helping with the day-to-day operations to help finalize the creation of the Birmingham Urban Mural project. Lela was a self-taught artist who brought her particular view of her neighborhood and the people in it to life in pieces like the Black-Eyed Pea Man on display in this exhibition. Lela was a larger-than-life personality with a big heart. She passed away in 2021.