Livingston Mural Applications For Property Owners

Downtown Livingston property owners beginning next week can apply to have a mural painted on their building.

Applications must include a detailed mural proposal with ideas to highlight the county’s history and culture. Livingston Overton County Chamber of Commerce Director Shannon Cantrell said the two winners will design the painting with artists from Tennessee Tech’s Center for Rural Innovation.

“Our property owners that are interested in this, I am really excited to see what they come up with as far as mural design in general,” Cantrell said. “There is so many different directions that this can go. It is going to be great for our community and downtown area.”

Property owners will be responsible for all maintenance of the artwork and 50 percent of the funding. Cantrell said the project would not be possible without a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

“The Main Street Committee, along with the Downtown Revitalization Committee will go over each application,” Cantrell said. “Then the final three or four that we end up with will have to go before the Board of Alderman. They have to be approved by three or four different groups.”

During Monday’s regular Livingston Board of Alderman meeting, Cantrell suggested the city looked into setting guidelines to allow for future murals. Cantrell said the two murals coming this spring could convince other businesses to create their own artwork.

“I absolutely hope it begins to be a trend,” Cantrell said. “It has been proven that murals help tourism. I really hope we have a lot more interest, and I think it is very important that the Board of Alderman do set some guidelines for this in general.”

Cantrell said the paintings can not promote any business or political group directly. The artists have not been assigned for the project yet. Once completed, the murals will become public art.