Mural Being Donated, Parks & Rec Location Sought

Hi Director Walsh and Director Brace,

I've been trying to drum up support with the Office of Redevelopment concerning a new mural potentially being donated to Knoxville.

The Center for Biological Diversity is donating murals of approx ~500 square feet *free* to a handful of cities across the U.S. to highlight locally important endangered species.

Along with Birmingham, Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri, Knoxville Tennessee is on the CBD's "short list" in the South to get a mural.

Birmingham is getting a Watercress Darter; St. Louis is getting the Ozark Hellbender.

Knoxville's proposed installation is a type of freshwater pearlymussel (clam). Freshwater clams feature significantly in Knoxville's history, both as a food source for indigenous peoples and later as the foundation of a Southeastern U.S. button industry.  Cormac McCarthy wrote about a Knoxville musseler trawling the Tennessee River in his book "Suttree" set in the 1950s.  The McClung museum has a special exhibit on the animal's role in Knoxville's history.

It's free art and needless to say, great for our city in terms of tourism and civic pride.

All we have to do is donate a blank wall to install it.

Or it won't happen.

Can Parks and Rec and Public Works help secure a site, so we can get this mural for Knoxville?

Following on the heels of the Sixth Avenue Greenway Underpass Mural Project, I'm personally enthusiastic about a mural installation on the city's Greenway network.

I've identified two spots that might be ideal candidates, given their proximity to Knoxville's most populous neighborhood (Fort Sanders / UT), the popularity of Third Creek Greenway, and the appropriate context of the creekside greenway for the subject matter (freshwater clam). 

1. University Commons retaining wall (with hopes of one day having a bridge from Third Creek Greenway to University Commons)
   
2. Third Creek Greenway retaining wall (adjacent to UT Rugby Fields)

I don't know if the retaining wall on Third Creek is owned by the City or by TDOT.  

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This is an important question because if it is owned by the City, then I don't believe we'd need permission from TDOT to install it (unlike the Sixth Avenue Greenway Underpass Mural Project). 

Director Brace is probably familiar with the struggle with grafitti at this site; one goal of the Sixth Avenue Greenway Underpass Mural project was to deter graffiti and minimize ongoing maintenance efforts.

Along with Chris Irwin, I've been trying to drum up support for an installation site with anyone who will listen since April.

I'd greatly appreciate any support we can garner from Parks & Rec. 

I think this'd be a "win" for all city departments involved, but especially a "win" for the residents of Knoxville.

Here's more about the project and a recently finished example - as you can see it's really compelling visual art.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/creative_media/endangered_species_mural_project/index.html

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Can you let me know if the City owns the retaining wall on Third Creek Greenway adjacent to the UT Rugby fields, and if so, whether it might be possible to install a mural this summer, perhaps concurrent with the KUB closure August - September, or if there are other potential installation sites owned by the city?

Thanks,

Tanner