Go Paint Something!

“Hey Mike – I’ve got a non-profit that is looking to paint murals on a concrete railroad support column – you interested?” Uh, yeah.

I mean, really, how often do you get a call like that? Oh, sure, it was something of which I had never done before – painting murals on three 25 foot high CSX railroad support columns – in the middle of one of the busiest state highways in Tennessee. And it was being overseen by a neighborhood committee, a State Representative, a State Senator, the Metro Arts Commission, the Mayor – oh, and did I mention, they really didn’t have much money? Who could resist? Well, obviously, not me.

Mickie and I were called to attend a committee meeting of the Flatrock Heritage Foundation, a new non-profit that was formed to help spruce up a long-neglected section of Nolensville Road. “Flatrock” was what the area used to be known as, due to the presence of a…well…large flat rock that was behind a general store. The proprietors used the rock for hand-grinding meal, but eventually it broke…and that’s all I remember. Look – local history is not my thing – OK? 

Anyway, the committee was looking for an artist to paint murals on the three columns as part of a neighborhood revitalization effort. See, this whole area was covered in litter, overgrowth, broken glass and drug paraphernalia, as well as homeless camps, etc. Their purpose was to clean the area up and make a nice “gateway” into the area.

Funding was coming from what little money the non-profit had, as well as a small grant from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, and a matching grant from the Nashville Zoo (since the entrance to the Zoo was only a hundred yards from the bridge). Basically, they had way less than what the project would normally cost. Was I still interested? Sigh. I am so easy.

Well, of course I was interested. The location itself was a fabulous draw, with a ton of traffic, and the opportunity to do something for a neighborhood was more than enticing. Of course, I broke a ton of my own steadfast rules. Rules like, “No design without a design fee”, and “50% deposit before I begin”. The things you do for community service!

The committee was very concerned about two things: graffiti and the longevity of the paint, issues which have been discussed at length in different classes I teach and articles and columns I have written. Murals have long been known to be a great deterrent to graffiti, and silicate paint is the best way to go for longevity on concrete. Piece of cake.

But the committee also wanted to contribute to the “design”, and we all know how “design by committee” works. I can feel that collective shudder from all you artists, muralists and painters! This group wanted me to paint giraffes and the like on the columns because of the proximity and contributions from the Zoo.

OK, I can live with a nod to the Zoo, but I suggested that maybe we use animals that would be more natural – animals that could actually climb a column.  Not that we would necessarily find them in the middle of Nolensville Road, but you have to suspend belief somewhere! And of course, the animals would have to have some type of foothold to climb onto, so how ‘bout we build the columns out of large stones, give it a more antiquated feel, like it’s been there for a long time.

They liked that idea. Sigh and smile.

So I started sketching. Actually contacted the zoo to give me a list of their “climbing” animals - animals that could, if they really wanted to, climb the columns. Well, I got a great list, some of which were familiar to me: 

• African Wild Dog
• Ring Tailed Lemur
• Clouded Leopard
• …even a Hyacinth Macaw
• But I had never heard of a Red Panda
• or a White Cheeked Gibbon
• or especially a Schmidt’s Guenon, whatever the hell that is.

And I had no clue that a Bengal Tiger was thirteen feet long! That’s huge! But working off of a flat plane was really limiting me, because, what were the meerkats going to sit on? So that’s how the “niches” developed.

Purely functional.

And the “Welcome to Flatrock” at the top? Almost an afterthought. I was looking at the columns as they progressed, and knew they needed something else. Then it occurred to me: hey, if this is supposed to be a gateway, then let’s give everyone a hearty welcome – carved in stone!

Starting the project was no walk in the park, pardon the pun. The trash had to be picked up, the overgrowth had to be cleared, and of course, the homeless camps had to be “relocated”. There were people who were actually living inside the bridge itself!

And to get CSX to approve painting on their supports actually took a 21 page contract – it was the first time that CSX had ever let anyone - anyone – paint on their property, all twenty one states of it. I take great pride in being the first.

The committee, along with the State representative, got together all types of volunteers, from neighborhood helpers to crews from the “Drug Court” (non-violent inmates doing outside work as part of their sentence). They even got the police to donate their time, instead of charging us $45 an hour!

The volunteers hauled away hundreds of bags of garbage, and cut down and mowed everything in sight. The homeless camp was eliminated, and the “residents” relocated. I even taught the Drug Crew how to use pressure washers, as well as how to “blend” multiple colors of silicate paint with long rollers. (Could have used these guys in Gatlinburg!)

I taught volunteers how to help paint the mortar joints, and even had an art teacher volunteer to help paint some animals. (Yes , I had to coach her to use more contrast in her shadows!) I had them do everything that they could reach from the ground and a small stepladder. I painted everything else from a 40’ articulated four-wheel drive lift. And because it was a State Highway, we were required to have police on site with flashing lights. Good thing. Traffic was a…well, you understand. They were great at blocking traffic, as we had to cross the street many times, working from one support to another.

The entire project took 4 weeks to the day. Weather was very accommodating. Only got rained out a couple of times. And sometimes it got really hot. Oh - did you know that heat rises? Especially from the asphalt, traffic, etc.  Good news: I only passed out once from the heat. Try that sometime, when you’re 25’ up in a lift, and can’t remember how to work the controls because your brain is fried. Fun.

And don’t think that Mickie ever let me hear the end of that little incident.

Here’s a fun story: A Hyacinth Macaw actually escaped from the Zoo while we were painting the project. They found it a couple of days later perched in a tree in someone’s backyard, but the rumor going around was that he was coming to visit his friend flying by the underpass.

Trouble is, they were worried that the Bengal Tiger was planning on making a similar daring escape to visit his bridge buddy as well. Could have been responsible for a mass exodus!

And, no, Mickie wouldn’t have let me hear the end of that one, either.

Welcome to my world.

To your success…with a little entertainment thrown in, too,
Michael Cooper

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