Murals to Visit Across Tennessee
As various different social media platforms continue to grow, we start to see the art culture put on the forefront where anyone can showcase their artistic abilities. While there are thousands of street art throughout the state, here are some iconic murals that you’ll want to stop by if you’re passing through the city:
What Lifts You (Nashville)
By Kelsey Montague, located in the Gulch.
The iconic wings were created as a part of a campaign that Montague started around the world to provide an opportunity for each individual to share what inspires them. It has quickly become a popular tourist spot, even catching the attention of Taylor Swift!
The Sound of Memphis (Memphis)
By Damon Lamar Reed and Pugs Atomz, located on Main Street, across from Aldo’s Pizza.
This mural features a man carrying a guitar case with stickers of iconic locations, people and things in Memphis showcasing the versatility the city has to offer.
Flying Doughnuts (Chattanooga)
By Joseph Giri, located on the south building of Koch’s Bakery on Broad Street.
This mural is most famous for creating controversy in the city due to city officials claiming the mural was illegally created as an advertisement without a permit, rather than a simple work of art. Ultimately, after petitions and several debates, the mural still stands today open to the public.
Weaving Rainbow Mountain (Knoxville)
By Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn, located on Cumberland Avenue.
This Baltimore-based duo is known for creating dynamic and vibrant murals on a large scale, featuring primarily geometrical abstractions based on the environment they are creating in. For instance, this mural was inspired by the craft revival movement that took place in Knoxville during the late 1800's to 1945.
We Love Franklin (Franklin)
By forBecks, located on the Riverside Franklin building in downtown Franklin.
Inspired by pop culture and iconic imagery, forBecks creates a simplistic style of art and has become most known for the Lego man and the Instagram “like” icon. “We Love Franklin” is also the city’s first ever wall mural.
Clarksville Starry Night (Clarksville)
By Olasubomi Aka-Bashorun, located on the Total Fitness Building on Madison Street.
Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” this mural gained a great amount of attention, being the first mural since the 1999 tornado. Bashorun rendered the Clarksville skyline into the style of the iconic painting, which gradually drew people into Clarksville to see the 120-feet-wide mural.
Columbia Arts District (Columbia)
By Michael Colley, located in front of the Columbia Fire Station No. 1 on South Garden Street.
Part of the Columbia Public Mural Project, this two-sided mural depicts Columbia’s nickname “Muletown,” and sits at the gateway of Columbia’s Arts District. In hopes of creating a new and growing art movement, Colley was inspired by Picasso’s cubism style.
I Believe in Nashville (Nashville)
By Adrien Saporiti, located on 12 Avenue South.
This mural is easily one of the most well-known murals in Nashville, appearing in numerous magazines and video shoots. However, the popularity of this mural caused it to become a target for vandalism and has been vandalized at least three times since being created. Despite the adversity, the community has continuously aided Saporiti in restoring the mural to its original state.