Trés Taylor Trés Taylor was working as a biochemist in San Diego, California, in the late 1980s when a road trip changed his trajectory. After visiting several folk artists in Georgia and Alabama, he returned to the West Coast feeling inspired. He started making art and soon quit his job to pursue it full-time. “I had found my joy,” he says. ByrdlandCourtesy Byrdland Home and Gallery Today, Taylor shares that passion in his adopted hometown of Selma, Alabama. He started the “Revolution of Joy” collective mural project—the aim of which is to connect history and inspire change—and welcomes guests to Byrdland, a historic Victorian house that serves as his home, studio, gallery, and an artist retreat. Here are his recommendations for exploring Selma like a local. HISTORIC STAY “You can sleep in a piece of history at Woolworth Lofts. The early 1900s building once housed a Woolworth’s store. Local artist AC Reeves renovated the property into five distinctive apartments, filled with salvaged architectural details and local art. AC is Selma’s unofficial mayor—she’ll connect you to everything and everyone you need to know.” THE BREAKFAST CLUB “Start your morning at the Downtowner Restaurant, a meat-and-three that’s popular with locals—you’ll feel like you stepped back in time. Fill up on eggs, biscuits, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, hotcakes, and strong black coffee.” ARTISTIC WIZARDRY “A visit to legendary folk artist Charlie Lucas’s Tin Man Studio is a must. Lucas, aka the Tin Man, creates pieces from discarded metals that defy the imagination. Behind the studio, Gallery 905 pulses with local artwork, including pottery, quilts, and more.” Edmund Pettus Bridge SOLDIER ON “You can’t come to Selma without visiting the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where peaceful marchers [advocating for voting rights] met brutal violence on Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965. Reserve a one-on-one tour with Jo Ann Bland, a civil rights warrior who founded Foot Soldiers Park.” MIRROR MIRROR “Steps from the bridge, Reflections Coffee Shoppe is a perfect spot to recharge. The menu offers coffee, pastries, and light bites; I like the iced matcha and turkey cranberry melt.” SOUL-STIRRING “Afriye We-kandodis cofounded the By the River Center for Humanity. Call ahead and reserve her Soul Prints experience, a recreation of the Middle Passage that bears witness to the conditions enslaved Africans endured crossing the Atlantic. She recently added a soul food restaurant; the jerk chicken is a must.” “A Song for Rosalina” by Trés TaylorCourtesy Trés Taylor MEET THE STORYTELLERS “What makes Selma special are its people and stories. Stop at the Old Depot Museum and ask for director Beth Spivey. Visit Fair Oaks Books, which is run by former Village Voice writer David Tipmore. Or seek out artist Anne Strand at her eponymous gallery (by appointment only). Her mystical art features dreamlike figures and ethereal landscapes.” DOWN TO THE RIVER “End your day at the Sandbar Grille Bar on the Alabama River with an order of fried catfish and great sunset views.” This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Southbound. The post What not to miss in Selma, Alabama, according to a local artist appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less