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Style Blueprint
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Style Blueprint
15 Memphis Murals That Offer a Glimpse Into the City's Vibrant Culture
Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit In Memphis, art isn't only found in galleries; it's on the sides of buildings, tucked into alleyways, and stretched across neighborhood blocks. Murals have become part of the city's storytelling tradition, reflecting its history, pride, challenges, and joy. From heartfelt Civil Rights tributes to playful bursts of color that brighten your morning commute, these public works speak volumes. While we could spend weeks exploring a comprehensive list of beautiful Memphis murals, we've grouped a few highlights by the stories they tell. Pin CIVIL RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE Nowhere is the power of public art more evident than in Memphis's Civil Rights murals. These works don't just beautify the city; they challenge viewers to remember, reflect, and act. I Am a Man This iconic mural is located on South Main Street in Downtown Memphis and pays tribute to the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike. Artist Marcellous Lovelace with BLK75 created the eye-catching colors and graffiti style. Pin History of Civil Rights in Memphis Soaring six stories high, this mural offers a visual narrative of the city's civil rights journey, paying homage to Ida B. Wells, Beale Street Baptist Church, Robert Church, and much more. Pin Upstanders Created by Memphis artists Cedar Nordbye and Nelson Gutierrez, the Upstanders mural honors extraordinary Memphians who helped create a more inclusive, just, and compassionate Memphis. You can find it on Huling Avenue, near the National Civil Rights Museum. Pin LOCAL CULTURE & NEIGHBORHOOD PRIDE These colorful displays capture hometown pride and that intangible sense of place. Broad Avenue Water Tower The popular and easily recognizable water tower mural soars 150 feet above Broad Avenue, with bright bands of color representing Broad Avenue's multicultural neighborhood. Pin A Journey Through Greatness Commissioned by UrbanArt, four murals grace the interior of the Orange Mound Community Center. Using information from neighborhood residents, artist Vitus Shell brought the historic and diverse area to vibrant life, depicting different facets of the Orange Mound community, including people, schools, and sports. Pin Overton Square-Redux Combining style and whimsy, artist David Lynch offers a fun look at a classic Memphis location. Overton Square-Redux captures the local establishments, experiences, and landmarks that Memphians and visitors love! Pin An Afternoon in Uptown Located on North 3rd Street, this delightful mural illustrates Uptown's progress through a few local landmarks, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Neighborhood Christian Center, Roxy's Grocery, and much more. The artist, Carl Scott, was a longtime resident of this quintessential Memphis neighborhood. Pin MUSIC & MEMPHIS ICONS Few cities are as defined by music the way Memphis is, so it's no surprise that musicians and musical landmarks are some of the most beloved subjects of local murals. The Memphis Poetry Panels This stretch of South Main features eight popular songs about Memphis, with lyrics stenciled in white on a bright red background. Beloved musicians with a history in Memphis share their passion about the city, including Roy Acuff, Big Bill Broonzy, Jerry Lee Lewis, Junior Parker, and Rufus Thomas. Pin W.C. Handy This mural, located under the South Main overpass, pays tribute to the 'Father of the Blues,' whose influence reverberates through Memphis and beyond. Pin Jay Lance Turner's bold, contemporary portrait 'Jay' captures the creative energy of Memphis grunge musician Jimmy Lindsey. Created as part of the Downtown Memphis Commission's Mosaic project, the mural can be found at the intersection of Vance Avenue and South Main. Pin St. Blues Guitar Artist Brandon Marshall celebrates the craftsmanship behind Memphis's musical instruments in this cool depiction of a St. Blues original guitar played by BB King. It is fittingly located in the Edge District's St. Blues Guitar Workshop on Marshall Avenue. Pin NATURE & ABSTRACT BEAUTY Not every mural carries a message. Some brighten a block, inspire imagination, or surprise a pedestrian on an ordinary day. Untitled by Birdcap No list of abstract murals would be complete without a creation by Birdcap (artist Michael Roy). Combining his signature flair for combining comic artistry, folklore, and philosophy, this untitled work is located at Eclectic Eye in Cooper-Young. Pin Big Green Murals Big Green commissioned fun and fresh murals for learning gardens in several Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Each mural portrays fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and bees, using vibrant colors and dynamic designs to draw students into the gardens and encourage them to enjoy and learn from them. Pin Mobility Center The Downtown Memphis Mobility Center is more than just your run-of-the-mill parking and transportation hub! The seven-story facility features murals by 16 local artists, one on each floor. Pin There are hundreds of murals in Memphis, so this is just a small sampling. Head on out and find a few favorites of your own! ********** To stay in the know on the best of the South, subscribe to our daily emails! About the Author Gaye Swan A freelance writer, mom of twins, avid traveler, and local foodie, Gaye loves meeting new people and bringing their stories to life.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Famed Memphis church associated with Martin Luther King damaged by fire
A fire has severely damaged the historic Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis, which is closely associated with the US civil rights movement and Dr Martin Luther King. The temple was headquarters for the sanitation workers' strike that brought King to Memphis in 1968. The campaign's 'I Am a Man' signs were made in the church's basement, according to the temple's website. In 2018, it was designated a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Memphis fire department chief Gina Sweat said at a news conference that the department received a call at about 1.30am local time on Monday morning through a commercial alarm. The blaze was largely contained within an hour, she said, but there were still some hotspots so firefighters will remain on site working throughout the day. The temple has 'sustained significant damage', Sweat said, calling it a 'devastating fire'. 'Due to the significant damage, we could not go inside the building at that point, so we're having to fight the fire, the rest of it, from the outside,' she said. Investigators from the fire department, police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were working to determine the cause of the fire. 'This is going to take some time due to the significant damage to the structure,' she said. 'It's still an active investigation and we're working diligently and thoroughly.' Sweat described Clayborn Temple as 'sacred and significant to our entire community'. Memphis mayor Paul Young said in a statement that the fire had 'ravaged one of our city's greatest treasures'. 'Clayborn is more than a historic building,' Young said. 'It is sacred ground. It is the beating heart of the civil rights movement, a symbol of struggle, hope and triumph that belongs not just to Memphis but to the world.' 'Standing in the shadow of that steeple, generations of Memphians found their courage,' he said. 'Today, in the face of this tragedy, we must find ours once again.' He said: 'We grieve deeply for what has been lost, but we also stand ready to honor Clayborn's legacy the only way we know how: by coming together to restore, rebuild, and remember.' The National Civil Rights Museum also released a statement, describing the temple as a 'symbol of organized resistance and hope during the 1968 sanitation workers' strike'. 'When marchers filled its sanctuary, it wasn't just about better wages; it was about dignity, about declaring that Black lives and labor mattered in a city that often acted indifferent' the statement read. 'In the years since, despite cycles of neglect and efforts at preservation, Clayborn Temple remained a powerful reminder that in the face of obstacles, violence, and hatred, collective action and faith can build something stronger.' King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, said he was 'deeply saddened by the devastating fire that destroyed the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis'. He said: 'Clayborn was the starting point for the sanitation workers' march where my father stood and helped lift up the words 'I Am a Man' to the world. 'The flames that consumed Clayborn Temple cannot erase its legacy as sacred ground. We honor its history and we are committed to supporting efforts to rebuild this cornerstone of the civil rights movement.' According to local newspaper the Commercial Appeal, the temple had been undergoing years of renovations to preserve its structure.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nebraska lawmakers asked to restore funding for Chief Standing Bear museum, lake projects
A portrait of Chief Standing Bear was displayed on the first floor of the Nebraska Capitol on Monday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN – State lawmakers were told Monday that restoring funding for a Standing Bear museum and improvements at two large lakes would enhance tourism and economic development and honor 'an extraordinary Nebraskan.' 'Who walks 500 miles in the dead of winter to honor a pledge of a dying son?' author Joe Starita asked members of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee. 'Our finest fiction writers could not make up this story.' Starita, whose book about Chief Standing Bear, 'I Am a Man,' led to the filming of a Hollywood movie and issuance of a U.S. Postal Service stamp, was among several people urging legislators to restore $14 million in state funding for a museum and cultural center honoring Standing Bear. The funding was cut as part of an effort to close the state's multi-million dollar budget deficit. Others testified to restore funds to build an expanded marina on Lewis & Clark Lake in northeast Nebraska and to reverse a cut in funds to improve roads and infrastructure on western Nebraska's popular Lake McConaughy. The Appropriations Committee was told Monday that there were 'technical and mechanical' problems with a proposed $7.5 million-a-year transfer from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to state funds that finance water sustainability and conservation projects. Karl Elmshaeuser, the Trust's executive director, said the transfers are not accompanied by amendments to the state statutes that govern financial transfers from the Trust, as required. Omaha State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the transfers likely also violate the Nebraska Constitution, which set up the Trust. The purpose of the Trust, representatives of conservation groups testified, is to finance local and regional environmental, wildlife habitat and recycling projects that weren't getting funds in the past. It isn't intended, they said, to replace state funds for state programs. The $7.5 million in transfers would earmark about a third of the $20 million-a-year the Trust gets from the Nebraska Lottery to award in competitive grants. Advocates for adding 350 new slips and a visitors center at the Wiegand Marina on Lewis & Clark Lake said the $40 million project has already sparked construction of new private campgrounds and is key to attracting visitors and new residents. Testifiers said South Dakota — on the north side of the lake — is getting the bulk of tourism dollars spent by the 2 million visitors each year to the reservoir on the Missouri River. 'The marina project is key to keeping those dollars in our state,' said Stacy Miller, the Knox County Economic Development director. Similar statements were offered about restoring $34 million that had been earmarked for a new marina at Lake McConaughy, though testifiers argued the money should now be used to improve roads to the popular lake since the ever-varying water levels of the lake make it difficult to build a huge marina. 'This money will be wisely spent and will have a great return on investment,' said Corey Crandall, chairman of the Keith County Commission, noting the huge influx of tourists from Colorado's Front Range to the white sand beaches of the massive lake. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, in his proposed budget, and the Appropriations Committee, in its preliminary budget proposal, both eliminated funding for the improvements at the two lakes to close the state's budget gap. Both projects had been part of the Legislature's recent Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability group's targeted investments. Following Monday's hearing, State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who chairs the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said the $165 million in additional tax revenue forecasted for the state last week still leaves the budget with a hole to fill of about $98 million. That, he said, makes it unlikely that proposed budget cuts will be restored. 'We still need to find more revenue or fewer expenses,' Clements said. About $15 million was cut as part of the budget trimming from a planned cultural center and museum dedicated to Standing Bear, the Ponca chief who famously won a court ruling in 1879 that established Native Americans as 'persons' under U.S. law. In his testimony, Standing Bear said that if his hand was cut, he would bleed the same as the judge. 'The blood is of the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a Man,' Standing Bear said. Under Legislative Bill 491, a bill proposed by State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, $7 million a year, over two years, would be restored to build a 22,000 square-foot facility on Ponca land south of Niobrara. The facility would include a museum, event space, conference rooms, a theater and a recording studio to capture Ponca drumming songs. Members of the Ponca Tribe, along with Judi gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, said planning work had already begun in conjunction with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on the facility, with an expected completion date of 2027. gaiashkibos, also a member of the Ponca Tribe, said more tourists would be expected to come to Nebraska to seek more information on Standing Bear once the movie comes out. The Appropriations Committee also heard conflicting opinions on its recommendation to give $52,000 toward operation of the Niobrara Scenic River Council. That 16-member board created 28 years ago and based in Valentine acts as a liaison between Nebraska landowners, organizations and the National Park Service. The Park Service manages the 76-mile-long stretch of the Niobrara River that was designated as a national scenic river, which has been a huge draw for float and canoe trips. Kalli Kieborz, executive director of the Niobrara Council, told senators that the Council would be forced to close its doors because funding from the Park Service, which once totaled about $100,000-a-year, ended in October. She asked that the state help keep the Council and its projects going, which include maintaining toilets along the river, funding weed control efforts and providing educational programs for local students. But Kimberly Stuhr opposed state funding for the Council, citing a recent audit alleging that that Kieborz was seen ice fishing and at school functions rather than at work and that bonuses were improperly awarded to Council staff. 'The reality is (the Council) isn't working, and hasn't worked for several years,' Stuhr said, adding that the Council has failed to take corrective actions from the state audit. Others testified Monday in support of allowing the Nebraska Game and Parks Committee to use $100,000 of its cash funds for needed maintenance on the Cowboy Trail, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The Appropriations Committee is taking testimony on its preliminary budget. The committee, after its public hearing, took no action on the matters heard Monday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
