By Kathy Mitchell
The new artwork in the lobby of Harris Lowry Manton LLP law office is more than a decorating detail, according to Jed Manton, a founding partner of the firm. He said of the commissioned portrait of the late U.S. congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, “This one-of-a-kind portrait of Congressman Lewis occupies a place of honor and distinction at our firm’s Brookhaven office. I believe this painting will offer daily inspiration to our attorneys and staff, encouraging them to honor his legacy through their work advocating on behalf of our clients.”
In May 2020, Harris Lowey Manton moved its Atlanta office from mid-town to Brookhaven and wanted a special touch for the firm’s new workplace. “We have always had a good many DeKalb County clients, so moving to DeKalb felt right. I am especially pleased to be in Brookhaven, where I live,” Manton said. “Being involved in the community we serve has always been part of our culture, so we discussed what we could do at the new office that would tie us in a special way to the DeKalb community. Someone suggested a portrait of John Lewis and we all agreed. Congressman Lewis’s hallmarks were the pursuit of equality and uncompromising commitment to justice. When something wasn’t right, he kept fighting to make it right. That’s the kind of tenacity we always strive for at our law firm.”
Firm members were searching for the right artist when Manton noticed a piece of art at another law office that he liked. “When I learned that the artist was local, that made me all-the-more interested. We always try to support local people when we can,” he said. The lawyers chose the artist whose work Manton had admired, Patrick Lewis (no relation to the late congressman), who is known for his expressive, loose paintings of historic figures and iconic brands.
The artist created the 6-by-8-foot painting, using his characteristic “unstructured, dramatic brushstrokes and a commanding mix of colors” to depict Congressman Lewis in the foreground with the Atlanta skyline behind him. The acrylic and mixed media painting features one of the Congressman Lewis’s most widely known quotes in the bottom left corner: “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
“We didn’t offer him any direction; we’re lawyers, not artists. We just let the artist go with his vision,” said Manton, who added that he and his partners are delighted with the result.
Alabama native John Lewis from his days as a college student was a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and spoke at the historic 1963 March on Washington—the event at which King delivered his iconic “I Have Dream” speech. Committed to the nonviolent approach to initiating change, Lewis was arrested 40 times during his days with the Civil Rights Movement. He helped integrate the interstate bus system as a Freedom Rider and was severely beaten as he led 600 peaceful protestors supporting voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. He represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, which includes a large portion of DeKalb County, from 1986 until his death in 2020.
At an April 2 unveiling ceremony at Harris Lowry Manton LLP, Manton along with other founding partners Jeff Harris and Steve Lowry presented a $5,000 donation to the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to continue the legacy of Congressman Lewis and his wife, Lillian Miles Lewis. Foundation Treasurer Mignon Morman Willis and her husband, Bill, who were identified as longtime friends of John and Lillian Lewis, accepted the donation on behalf of the foundation.
Founded in 2017, the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation was created to encourage and support individuals, groups, and organizations to reach for the greatness in themselves, principles Manton said were in harmony with those at the firm, as reflected in its scholarship program.
Manton said the artwork already is getting lots of attention. “In addition to those visiting our offices, people see it from the window and come in to take a closer look.”
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