Welcome to the MLK District Mural Blog

About the Project:
Public Art Chattanooga, a division of the City of Chattanooga, has commissioned world-renowned artist Meg Saligman to create a monumental mural located on the AT&T Building at 300 East M.L. King Boulevard in Chattanooga, TN. This will be Meg's largest mural to date covering approximately 40,000 square feet and one of the largest murals in the country.

The ML King District Mural Project will reinforce the critical role public art plays in lending a sense of place to a neighborhood, and it will contribute to future neighborhood beautification and economic development efforts. The images and people in the mural are inspired by real stories, individuals, and the history of the neighborhood.

Over the course of the next few months, we will be posting images and information about the project, the artist team and the stories behind the images in the mural. The project began in June and is expected to be completed in December 2015.

Process:
Meg Saligman is known for her collaborative process and intricate designs which bring life to new and existing architecture. Her projects are always site specific and collaborative by nature. All elements of her designs come directly from their surrounding environment.

Meg has led multiple input sessions and interviewed a number of ML King District residents and business owners thus far to inform her design and gain an understanding of the community. A series of community paint days give the public an opportunity to make their mark and paint sections of the mural. For a schedule click here

About the Artist
This is a Meg Saligman Studios project. Co-Principal Artists are Meg Saligman and Lizzie Kripke. Lead Artists Hollie Berry and James Tafel Shuster In 2006, Public Art Review featured Meg Saligman as one of the ten most influential American muralists of the past decade. She has received numerous awards, including the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program's Visionary Artist Award, and honors from the National Endowment of the Arts, the MidAtlantic Arts Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Philadelphia's Leeway Foundation.

Apprentices:
A key component of the MLK Mural is the local apprentice program that offers the opportunity for local artists to work with nationally recognized muralist and to learn techniques and methods for large scale projects like this one. From 33 applicants, Meg interviewed and hired a team of 7 locals who will each be an integral part of her team. Each was hired for their artistic skill set and their ability to work collaboratively on a team. Members of the local team are:
Hollie Berry, Lead Artist
Abdul Ahmad, Apprentice
Anna Carll. Apprentice
Rondell Crier. Apprentice
Shaun LaRose. Project Assistant
Mercedes Llanos. Apprentice
Anier Reina. Apprentice

Funding & Administration:
The project is made possible with a partnership with AT&T and generous funding from the Lyndhurst and Benwood Foundations. Sherwin Williams and NES Rentals are corporate sponsors of the project. The project is administered by Public Art Chattanooga.

Documentation:
         

UTC History Department Interns:
Hannah Hahn
Regine McDavid

Stay connected!
publicart@chattanooga.gov
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#MLKmural