Legos and Dalmatians – Businesses get new murals
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Two new downtown murals, coordinated by Tullahoma-based marketers Kristin Luna and Scott van Velsor, can now be enjoyed by both visitors and Tullahoma residents.
One mural is located in the back of the soon to be opened Tully’s Coffee Co. building at 127 West Lincoln Street. The other mural is located on the north side of the Tullahoma Pediatric Therapy building at 200 North Washington Street.
The Tully’s Coffee mural features a colorful tribute to the shop’s namesake Dalmatian surrounded by coffee plant motifs.
“Earlier this year, Tully’s owner Shelby Dowdy contacted us about adding a mural to the back of her building,” said Kristin Luna. “After hearing about her dog Tully, who passed away from a rare condition and inspired the coffee shop’s name, we knew exactly which artist to call.”
Artist Whitney Herrington of Columbia, Tennessee completed the mural last week.
Herrington, who paints in a whimsical style and has murals across Tennessee, has previously collaborated with Luna and van Velsors’ nonprofit company DMA Events. The Tully’s mural was funded through a partnership between DMA, Tully’s Coffee Co. and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
According to Ms. Dowdy, “We couldn’t be happier with how the mural turned out. It’s even more beautiful than we imagined. Whitney is so talented! “
Ms. Dowdy continued, “We wanted something that truly honored our Dalmatian, Tully, who our coffee shop is named after. The artist captured her perfectly. We provided some of our favorite photos of Tully and shared a few memories that meant the most to us. From there, Whitney brought her to life on our wall in such a meaningful way. It’s become the heart of our shop and a special tribute to the dog who inspired it all,”
The second mural at the Tullahoma Pediatric Therapy building on Washington Street was painted by Chris Tidwell and features Lego Man. Mr. Tidwell also painted the original Lego Man at the entrance to One22 West restaurant building.
Cathy Conley, owner of the Washington Street property, has been trying to place a mural on her building for years but for various reasons it never worked out. “This year I got lucky with the perfect artist. It wasn’t until the mural was completed that I noticed a mini version of my Lego Man at the entrance to One22 West. I hope to find more little Lego’s throughout town in the future,” said Mrs. Conley.
Mrs. Lauren Miller, owner of Tullahoma Pediatric Therapy, has received a lot of good feedback on the mural. “The kids really get excited to see it when they are here for therapy,” said Mrs. Miller.
DMA Events serves as a catalyst to provide free access to art in rural Tennessee. Luna and van Velsor have installed more than 75 large-scale murals across Tennessee since 2018.
Cutline: Tully, the namesake of Tully’s Coffee Co., has been memorialized with a mural on the back exterior wall of the shop at 127 West Lincoln Street.
Cutline: Lego Man now has a place of honor on the north side of the Tullahoma Pediatric Therapy building at 200 North Washington Street.
