Historic hotel gets ‘JULU’ed

If you’ve explored Savannah even a little bit, you’ve probably seen one of Juliana Lupacchino’s works of art. The Savannah native is better known as JULU, and has left her mark all across town on walls, steps and canvases. Now, Lupacchino has “JULU”’ed one of Georgia’s most historic hotels.

Lupacchino was recently hired by the historic King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island to paint a mural on the property. The property features classic, Mediterranean architecture and tons of palm trees, creating the perfect spot for Lupacchino’s work to shine.

Lupacchino’s mural is composed of pops of blues, yellows, pinks, oranges and reds that all come together to create a bright, abstract design. It also features shapes that resemble leaves and spaces of checkerboard pattern.

“When we decided to launch the mural project, we knew we wanted to commission a local artist,” said Bart Johnson, general manager of the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort. “Juliana’s work speaks for itself! We love her flair for color and patterns and knew her style would be the perfect accompaniment to our beach-front resort.”

Across the street from The Cottage Custard + Coffee, Lupacchino’s art is a joyful morning coffee view or the perfect backdrop for an Instagram story of a frozen custard cone. Lupacchino graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she studied both pattern development and material exploration. She said she and her family actually grew up going to St. Simons Island and staying at the King and Prince.

“I have so many cherished childhood memories from those grounds,” Lupacchino said. “Many kids stopped by with their parents to check out what I was doing, and I couldn’t help but think how it felt like just yesterday that I was that kid frolicking around.”

The King and Prince is one of only nine Georgia hotels that are members of the Historic Hotels of America. The resort has been around since 1935 and is the winner of 10 consecutive TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Awards. Lupacchino said the resort staff was extremely welcoming and made her feel right at home.

“I mean I wish I could go back and paint more,” Lupacchino said. “Truly, so special. It says a lot when a historical property trusts you with adding a mural, and I hope the hotel and everyone there enjoy it as much as I enjoyed painting it.”

Visit the mural in person at the King and Prince, located at 201 Arnold Rd. on St. Simons Island. Follow @kingandprince on Instagram and check out more of Lupacchino’s art at @ju._lu on Instagram.