Side two of the
Columbia Public Mural Project depicting a beloved mule, iconic of Columbia’s
nickname “Muletown”, has been completed. Atlanta-based artist Michael Colley
signed his name to the wall, marking the end of his work on the two-sided mural
in Columbia, Tennessee.
“It's not often
in a career, someone is asked to design not one, but two ideas that represent
an entire city,” said Michael Colley. “They (the city) wanted to establish a
larger presence in the community for the Arts and these two walls were to be a
flagship for that endeavor. The fire station mural was side one. The mural for
side two needed to light up the new and growing Arts District in Columbia, so I
picked Cubism for the style, made famous by Picasso. I feel honored to have
been part of the city’s art movement and only hope it continues to grow and grow.
I look forward to returning to Columbia in the near future to help in any way
possible”.
The serpentine
mural wall stands as the gateway to the new Columbia Arts District in front of
Columbia Fire Station No. 1 at 1000 South Garden Street. Side one of the
two-sided public mural project, completed in June by Colley, commemorates 150
years of fire service by the Columbia Fire Department. As Colley worked on side
one of the mural, he met with a steady stream of enthusiastic citizens who
stopped by to watch him work and offer their thoughts on the mural project.
Colley was impressed with the feedback, overwhelmingly expressing an interest
in a mule design on side two. Colley took that feedback to heart along with
Mule Day inspiration, making it the theme of his designs. After several rounds
of designs submitted to the Columbia Arts Council, the final design was
approved and work began on side two days before Thanksgiving.
The City of
Columbia worked with the Tennessee Arts Commission, a partner agency that awarded
the City matching grant funds that offset the cost of both side one and two of
the mural project completed this week. The mural project was initiated by the
Columbia Arts Council and the City of Columbia with the goal of creating the
city's first public mural.
“The City of
Columbia maintains a steadfast commitment to the arts,” Columbia Mayor Dean
Dickey said. “That includes arts-related organizations and the artists and
creative community that drive the arts industry. We continue to pursue
opportunities to promote and develop our emerging arts district, our historic
downtown, and the arts as a whole in order to attract new artists, creative
professionals and visitors. This is a viable industry that generates economic
activity while improving the quality of life for the citizens of Columbia.”
ABOUT THE CITY
OF COLUMBIA
For those
seeking a true Southern, Main Street America experience, Columbia is 45 minutes
south of Nashville, Tennessee and 75 miles north of Huntsville, Alabama. Here
you’ll discover an original downtown with a vibrant Main Street and beautiful
town square bordered by the Duck River. And it is home to an American
President! So come on over, you’re
welcome here. We hope you’ll be enchanted by our city and feel connected to the
stories, experiences and people of Columbia. It's a classic Southern town with
a kick! www.ColumbiaTn.com.