Murphy Road Underpass Mural Project

Project Status - December 2024
We’re very excited to announce that we’ve achieved three important steps toward beautifying this key entryway into our neighborhood!

1)     We’ve just received CSX approval to move forward with our proposed project! The approval involved many months of discussions between SPNA and CSX and will require that we satisfy strict CSX standards related to design, insurance protection, and paint specifications. Both parties have now agreed to the terms and conditions of this project, including CSX approval of our proposed design.

2)     Earlier this year SPNA submitted an application for funding to support the Murphy Road Underpass Mural Project through the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) Tactical Urbanism program.  We were recently notified that our project was one of 14 Nashville programs selected to receive funding of up to $20,000!  This was a competitive process and we’re thrilled that our project has been selected for funding by the Tactical Urbanism program! The following link will bring you to a map of the 14 projects that were selected for funding in this round: Tactical Urbanism Funding Program - Round #1

3)     SPNA has chosen two artists to work with on this project that each have deep professional experience.

Audry Deal-McEver, a full-time professional artist based in Sylvan Park, developed the designs for our mural.  Audry’s artwork style reflects ornate botanical patterns inspired by historic textiles.  Information regarding her work can be found at www.AudryDealMcEver.com.

Muralist Michael Cooper has been painting large-scale custom wall murals for decades.  He and his wife, Mickie, started their business Murals & More LLC in 1990.  You can find examples of Michael’s mural work (including many that you’ll recognize from around Nashville) at www.muralsandmore.com. 

Audry developed our mural design to reflect the history and natural beauty of our area.  Two alternative color schemes were brought to an SPNA meeting and voted upon by our members in September. Samples of the chosen wall designs are pictured below.  The bridge itself will be painted a solid coordinating color, per CSX requirements. 

Stay tuned in coming months for more information our timeline for installation (likely late spring) and for many ways that you can help volunteer or contribute toward this mural project!

(Additional background on this project can be found at the bottom of this page, below the design images.)

Background on Murphy Road Underpass Mural Project

Introduction
The CSX railroad underpass that crosses Murphy Road in Nashville, Tennessee is a key gateway into West Nashville, and the Sylvan Park neighborhood, specifically. The underpass is highly visible to both pedestrians and drivers that pass under this bridge every day as they enter and exit Sylvan Park. The underpass is currently an eyesore that is covered in graffiti.  Neighbors have been asking the Sylvan Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA) for many years to pursue action to beautify this underpass.

SPNA has developed a plan to partner with artists from our community to paint murals on this structure, so that it serves as a welcoming entry to our neighborhood. The project would not only add beauty to the infrastructure in our neighborhood, but would help to demonstrate the talent and creativity that exists within our local arts scene.

We have chosen two artists for this project that each have deep professional experience. Our proposed mural design reflects the history and natural beauty of our area – factors that are very important to surrounding neighbors.

The location of this underpass is just east of 3630 Murphy Road in Nashville, Tennessee.  See below for images of the appearance of the underpass today.

Artist – Designer Audry McDeal-Ever
Audry Deal-McEver is a full-time professional artist based in the Sylvan Park neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to earning a degree in Ceramic Studio Arts from Ohio University, Audry's education also includes studies at Burg Giebichenstein School of Art and Design (Halle, Germany), and short-term residencies at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Red Lodge Clay Center, Hot Springs National Park, and the University of Alaska.  She has had work in over 50 solo and group exhibits across the US including venues as diverse as the American Museum of Ceramic Art, the Customs House Museum, the Disjecta Contemporary Arts Center (as part of the 2017 NCECA Annual Exhibit), the Nashville International Airport, and various nature centers/botanical conservatories.  She has also received numerous grants including an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission and an Individual Artist Career Opportunity grant from South Arts.  Her studio practice has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, Nashville Public Television’s Tennessee Crossroads, and the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler podcast.  Audry has taught at Belmont University, Middle Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University's Sarratt Art Studios, and at workshop centers across the country.

Audry’s artwork style reflects ornate botanical patterns inspired by historic textiles.  Examples of her work can be found at www.AudryDealMcEver.com.

Artist – Muralist Michael Cooper
Michael Cooper is well into his third decade of painting large-scale custom wall murals. He also provides decorative finishes, Venetian Plasters, Trompe L’oeil, and hand-painted large-scale graphics and signage. Michael started Murals & More LLC in 1990 with his wife and business partner, Mickie, and since then he has designed and painted everything from small interior residential projects to enormous hotel interiors, massive exterior highway painting projects and fabulous Public Art installations. Among his extensive list of mural projects, local Nashvillians will find many works that they recognize, including underpass murals in the Bellevue neighborhood and outside the Zoo on Nolensville Road; murals on Thistle Farms and Ole Red; and the “Nashville” food mural on the former Cash & Carry in Sylvan Park. Examples of Michael’s mural work can be found at www.muralsandmore.com.

By partnering with both Audry and Michael on this project, we are pairing the beautiful design work of a well-known Sylvan Park artist with the knowledge and skill of a highly-experienced mural artist.

Mural Design
The mural design that our team has chosen for the Murphy Road underpass is illustrated in sketches above.  The design reflects the following features:

·       The CSX bridge/trestle would be painted a solid color (teal) on each side.

·       The sides of the support arches would be painted a solid color (deep orange).

·       The remainder of the underpass (side walls and arches) would be painted in a pattern designed by Audry, including motifs inspired by Tennessee native botany. The motifs will be organic in nature, but the execution will be more graphic with hard edges, outlines, and solid color planes.  There will be no blending or gradation work.  The background of the walls/arches would be teal.  On top of this, there will be outlined graphic floral motifs with different accent colors filling in/highlighting parts of the interior designs.

The mural design was intended to engage the history of Sylvan Park.  The floral motifs will be inspired by our native botany, while also nodding to the economic history of our neighborhood.  Nearby Geny’s Florist (over 150 years old) once had a flower farm down the street from the mural location.  Import Flowers (over 35 years old) is located right next door.  The style and color pallet was inspired by the Arts and Crafts era, which is when many of the homes in our neighborhood were built.

Community Involvement
In addition to Nashville residents benefiting from the addition of beautiful artwork to key infrastructure in our area, we intend to involve community members in several aspects of this project.  The mural designs were discussed and voted upon at our September 9th neighborhood meeting. Our artists would work with community volunteers to paint the murals.  In addition, our artists would offer an art education lesson at Sylvan Park Elementary school.

To help with this project, please contact spna@sylvanpark.org!

CSX Transportation, Inc.
SPNA has obtained approval from CSX Transportation, Inc., through their consultants at Crouch Engineering, to proceed with this project. All of the requirements outlined in their CSX Public Project Manual for projects of this type will be satisfied (including insurance requirements and rules for entry onto CSX property and painting/cleaning to improve bridge appearance).

Project Funding
Funding for this project will come from a combination of sources. SPNA has applied for and been awarded funding from the NDOT Tactical Urbanism program for this mural project. We also plan to organize a fundraising campaign to solicit donations from local neighbors and businesses.  To-date, generous donations have already been made toward this project.