When we heard there was a public art project nicknamed “Chattanooga’s first drive-through art gallery”, we knew we needed to check it out. Artist Kevin Bate dreamed up the McCallie Walls Mural Project while driving to work one day. He even gave a local TEDx talk where he talked about his inspiration, “One day, driving on McCallie, I found myself thinking, Wouldn’t it be better if this wasn’t ugly?” This collection of 14 murals brought together artists and members of the community, and driving around to enjoy them was a fun way to spend part of our afternoon. For a few of our favorites, we got out to get a closer look.
Mural artist Ali Kay was motivated “to make people smile and feel good” when she created this stunning mural of a child using their imagination to play and soar up to the clouds.
Another one of the amazing murals from the McCallie Walls Mural Project is “Four Horsewomen”, created by artist Hollie Berry. She took the opportunity to transform this blank slate into something incredible by focusing on a quote that had been on her mind quite a bit when the project started.
“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
So she thought it was important to help other women see artwork that represented women with courage, intelligence, wisdom, power, and cleverness. She then created this piece, the Four Horsewomen of the Renaissance.
For her horsewomen, she chose:
– The White Horse: Scheherazade (Modeled by Malala Yousafzai)
– The Fiery Horse: Mulan (Modeled by Tsering Woeser)
– The Dark Horse: Uhura (Nichelle Nichols)
– The Pale Horse: Ripley (Sigourney Weaver)
I love this piece and the message behind it, because I believe representation matters. I know how much it means to me to see people like me depicted in art or in the media. So I love knowing this wall can serve to inspire women and girls in Chattanooga for years to come. Which horsewoman is your favorite?
I love how this project made art accessible to everyone. While I got out and explored some of the murals up close, it’s easy to enjoy the collection from your vehicle, which we call “three girls and a minivan style”.
Meaning that even if you have mobility concerns you can still enjoy something beautiful. I call this a win.
If you get the chance to see the McCallie Walls Mural Project, let me know which one is your favorite. Do you have favorite art in your city?