News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
State and local officials gathered on Livingston’s Church Street for the Standing Stone Mural ribbon cutting on Friday.
Canoes, cabins and the park’s marble yard are all displayed on the side of Pickers Palace 2. Livingston-Overton County Chamber of Commerce Director Shannon Cantrell said the idea behind the mural has been a goal for the Pickers Palace owner.
“There was a historic mural that said Standing Stone, 11 miles on it and he wanted to recreate that,” Cantrell said. “We didn’t know at the time how we were going to make it happen. So about a year after that, a grant through the Tennessee Arts Commission came across my email.”
Cantrell said this mural coming together is a win all around. She said it adds a vibrant look to Livingston’s downtown, and the mural is something that will be there for years to come.
Cantrell said the mural serves as a reminder to older generations of being a kid at the park, while hopefully leading future generations to make the same kind of memories.
“Knowing that one of our greatest tourism assets in Overton County is going to be able to benefit from this,” Cantrell said. “We were just talking to Miss Carol Coleman and she said back when she was young, she spent three summers in a row at Standing Stone. We want our community to remember now that Standing Stone is in our backyard and there’s so many awesome things for families to do there.”
Cantrell said the backdrop of the mural is based off of a photograph that artist Manuel Fuentes took while at the park. The mural was possible through a state program called Arts Build Communities.
