DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The Notorious Rock Eater of Rutledge Falls has now been immortalized in stone at Frazier McEwen Park as the mural of the storybook character was unveiled during Art in the Park Youth Edition this past Saturday.

The Art in the Park event, highlighted by the unveiling of the mural by its artist, Sara Andrews, was a rock-themed event with several rock displays along with fun activities for children. The project was a collaboration between the book’s author, C. Rick Villa and the Tullahoma Arts Council. The event also kicked off a rock scavenger hunt for kids that will run until the Art Crawl on Oct. 21. Kids at the event were given brochures to find rock-themed locations across the area and to take pictures.

“The mural is of the Notorious Rock Eater of Rutledge Falls, a book that local author Rick Villa had written,” said Greg Gressel of the Tullahoma Arts Council. “He had approached me and said, ‘Hey, I’d love for the character sometime to be part of a mural, that’s something I’m about.’”

The Arts Council liked the idea and was able to secure funding. Andrews, who was also the book’s illustrator, spent months doing the mural. She unveiled her work to the delight of scores who were on-hand Saturday morning. After the unveiling and ribbon cutting, Villa held a storybook reading of his children’s book.

Villa said it is humbling and an honor to be able to contribute something so lasting to the town of Tullahoma.

“This mural is more than just paint on the wall, it’s an invitation,” Villa said. “An invitation for children, and maybe even some grownups, to step into the story. The rock eater may be big and strong, but here he holds something delicate – a flower. This simple gesture reminds us even with our differences the toughest among us can show kindness and gentleness.”

Andrews said that the long hours she spent bringing the rock eater to life were worth it.

“This has been my second home lately,” Andrews said of the time she spent painting the mural. “I really enjoyed visits from the community, people stopping by to see how it was going. I love that the kids are going to have something to take pictures with. The interactive part is that a child can come up and receive a flower from the rock eater for a picture.”

The structure on which the mural was painted was an old pump house in the park on Rock Creek. According to Community Engagement Officer Lyle Russell, the water feature there was a drawing area for wildlife and Native Americans as it was the only real water source in the area. It was also an important resource for the Army of Tennessee during its six month encampment in and around Tullahoma during 1863.

“With its crystal clear and 52 degree water which you can see coming out of the spring, which still runs to this day, it made Tullahoma a health resort during the Victorian Era,” he revealed, noting the area of the park where the spring is located later became a race track and fair ground. “In the 1920s the pump house was converted to provide the community with an emergency water supply and it remained in use by the railroad until 1941.”

The area is now part of the city of Tullahoma, surrounded by Frazier McEwen Park and the walkway.