News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston’s new murals are almost complete and the community has responded with high praises of the work.
Livingston-Overton County Chamber of Commerce Director Shannon Cantrell said the artist has moved onto the Standing Stone mural on The Pickers Palace with a June 15th completion.
“I have never seen anything have such a positive impact on this community before,” Cantrell. “I have heard nothing but terrific things about these murals and terrific things about our artist. It’s been so great to watch.”
The AC Squared Bakery being one of the mural locations could potentially earn a Music Pathways designation. Cantrell said a portion of the mural honors Overton County born musician Lester Flatt.
Cantrell said when the bakery mural is complete she intends to send photos to the state tourism department to start the process. Cantrell said other aspects of the community being highlighted in the bakery mural include yellow lilies for Central Park, Livingston Academy and Dale Hollow Lake.
“The yellow chrysanthemum is in memory of the building owner Linda Terry, it’s in remembrance of her husband,” Cantrell said. “That is her husbands birth flower and he passed last year. So that was something she wanted incorporated and we were happy to do that for her.”
Cantrell said she found the mural artist, Manuel Fuentes, on Facebook after seeing work he’s completed in Nashville. She said Fuentes is an Upper Cumberland native, making his way from Mexico to be raised in Celina.
“This community has been so good to him and they have accepted him with open arms,” Cantrell said. “People are constantly bringing lunch to him, bringing drinks to him on the square. They’re taking good care of him.”
This mural opportunity became available through a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and UCDD. Cantrell said the program is called Arts Build Communities.
