Two Massive New Murals Just Went Up in Memphis
A mile-long mural now lines the Chelsea Floodwall, and a new tribute to Fred Smith welcomes travelers to the airport.
A mile-long mural now lines the Chelsea Floodwall, and a new tribute to Fred Smith welcomes travelers to the airport.
Chelsea Floodwall
This past weekend, UrbanArt Commission dedicated a mile-long mural along the Chelsea Avenue floodwall, between North Watkins and Evergreen. Nine artists spent months painting both sides of the wall, each responsible for a section at least six feet high and 450 feet long.
The mural is a patchwork of themes tied to North Memphis. One stretch is covered in flowers paired with inspirational messages like "Bloom where you're planted." Another leans into the city's musical heritage, with music notes, a phonograph, record albums and guitars. Derikah Scott, painted a section that's a love letter to the neighborhood she grew up in, built around the message "Beauty blooms where love is planted."
See more from the project on UrbanArt Commission's site.
Frederick W. Smith International Airport
Over on Plough Boulevard, the main road into the airport, FedEx commissioned local nonprofit Paint Memphis to paint a mural along the sound wall on the airport approach, honoring late FedEx founder Fred Smith and timed to the airport's renaming to Frederick W. Smith International Airport. Lead artists Rich Ayers, Cameron Hill and Paige Ellens directed a crew of about 10 additional painters to complete the large-scale tribute to Smith's legacy and Memphis's role as a global logistics hub.
More Murals to Come - Save the Date
Want more? Paint Memphis's annual festival, "Where the Light Gets In," returns to Broad Ave. and Summer Ave. on Saturday, Oct. 3, noon–6 p.m., with 50 artists, live painting, food, vendors and kids' activities. Businesses that want to get involved can reach out through paintmemphis.org.
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