Paintings adorn one of several art-covered walls at Mr. Rodgers Hamburgers, located at 1300 23rd Ave. Photo by Coleman Warner

One expects to find a mix of paintings adorning the gallery spaces of Meridian museums, walls of the classic dining room of Weidmann’s, or even meeting rooms in a lawyer’s office. But what about every available wall spot at a hamburger-and-biscuit joint?

 

For years, I’ve been struck by the significant collection of locally-produced paintings – various genres, price tags posted – at Mr. Rodgers Hamburgers on 23rd Avenue, toward the north edge of downtown. This is a high-profile art display, in a very busy and unlikely setting. Days ago, I finally got around to inquiring about it.

 

Restaurant owner Joey Rodgers explained simply that arts enthusiasts associated with the Meridian Museum of Art approached him many years ago about displaying works by museum members. Rodgers, a man usually preoccupied with satisfying hungry walk-in and drive-through customers, is no artist, but liked the idea.

 

“It’s easy décor, something like that,” said Rodgers, 65. “It’s good for them, good for us.”

 

Take a look around two Mr. Rodgers rooms where regular customers (including a men’s group from my church) gather to trade gossip, fellowship or plan the work day. There you find a mixed-media painting, “Grapes Devine” (available for $250), by Caulene Wilkinson; an acrylic incorporating strands of poured paint, titled, “The Cow Jumped Over The Moon” ($120) by Dorothy Denise Dengler; and a home-and-woods scene, “Fall in the Country” ($100), acrylic by Martha Buckley.

 

And this grassroots gallery features many other local artists, such as Patsy Temple, Ralph Weimer, Carol Nason, Sylvia Follis, Mouise Richards and Linda Weimer.

 

It’s not often that someone singles out a painting and arranges to buy it, according to Wilkinson, who has been among MMA supporters working to give artists community exposure.

 

“We do have inquiries, but it’s hard to have revenue with artwork,” probably because for many, it doesn’t meet a necessity test, she said. “What would you rather have, a painting or a carton of eggs?”

 

But she notes that the display helps to “plant a seed” of appreciation among those who don’t typically ponder art styles and movements. When I mention that pieces at Mr. Rodgers seem to cover the whole amateur-to-expert range, Wilkinson challenges me on how I would make such assessments. And she sends me a guide with this reminder: “Ultimately, a person’s reaction to a painting is very subjective. What one person finds moving, another may not.”

 

My reaction to the unorthodox collection is indeed subjective, and broadly, it is this: Mr. Rodgers has saluted the ambitions and efforts of little-known, talented artists who hope for community recognition. This is important to encouraging more learning and innovation, in much the same way that a long corridor at Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center features the drawings and paintings of local students.

 

Apart from a visit by the media personality Scotty Ray, Mr. Rodgers hasn’t received much praise for its steady endorsement of Meridian’s artists (beginning decades ago). This Meridian eatery deserves an award of some kind. And I can attest, by the way, that their sausage and egg biscuits are delicious.