A group of 21 local artists gave a creative gift to our community to encourage a better 2021 through a pop-up mural at the Walnut House, 116 N. Walnut St. in Murfreesboro.
The temporary mural was organized by artist and Rutherford Arts Alliance board member, Ginny Togrye. Ricki Martini from the Walnut House facilitated and handled the logistics of hanging the 36” x 46” panels in a collage format. All the panels included words or images of hope to form a cohesive work of art adding, to the many recent murals in our community.
“It has been such a difficult year for everyone, and we thought, as creatives, we could offer hope for 2021 through art,” Ginny Togrye said. “Artists can be such introverts, and I was trying to think of a way to look outside of our own selves and offer hope for the community.”
Walnut House, a local event venue and supporter of the arts in our town, was a natural choice of location. David Cavallin, owner, Walnut House, said “we have so many talented artists, musicians and makers in our community, and we’re excited to help showcase their creations!”
Lisa Browning, with Cultural Arts Murfreesboro, who is also a contributing artist described her panel, “a metaphor on the importance of reflecting back the beauty that appears before us every day in creative ways. A heart of thankfulness in the process can be hope-filled and multiplied when we express it back by using many avenues of the arts. A collaborative project is a strong example of a creative community coming together and in a flourish of good will, hope and compassion for its residents.”
Local fine artist Ray Kleinlein said, “I’m happy to participate in any project that showcases local art talent.” For his panel he recalled, “I decided to use white paint only to give it a simple graphic feel and make it easier to see at a distance.”
Portrait artist Lisa Sims also shared, “It was such a privilege and great fun participating in this gift to our community in the form of a pop-up mural. Art speaks where words are unable to explain. Creativity has been an ever-present hope and source of encouragement to me all my days! I hope this act of love from 20 fellow artists is received by the community of Rutherford County with as much enthusiasm and hope with each panel created. This is pure joy! Thanks RAA for making these projects come to life.”
Kleinlein and Sims are co-chairs of the Visual Arts interest group with the Rutherford Arts Alliance.
The overarching goal of Rutherford Arts Alliance is to connect creatives and community. The non-profit reflects an inclusive, grassroots effort to make Rutherford County known for the significant social and economic impact of its creative culture. Not just an organization, it’s a movement to call for community change to prioritize Rutherford County’s unique identity as a thriving cultural community that benefits local business, tourism, and our quality of life. For more information on the opportunities afforded by the Rutherford Arts Alliance, visit the website at rutherfordartsalliance.org.