Nathan Brown, a muralist based in Chattanooga collaborated with the Sweetwater Junior Main Street Board on telling the city’s history through art. High schoolers, under the leadership of Coach Sarah Davies, were divided into groups and tasked with researching their assigned topic then sharing their findings with the team.
Brown and his partner Tiffany Hargis wove elements of each presentation into the mural design, key Sweetwater landmarks like the old train depot, the historic train car, the clock and the Duck Park, as well as Aquilla Quincy Orr, the local lamplighter, and a nod to the lore behind Sweetwater Creek’s name.
“We created each one of these landmarks, icons and historical places with a blend of both our styles. We took cues and elements from each one of the presentations the students gave to form a cohesive story of notable highlights of Sweetwater,” Brown explains.
The mural also depicts the Lost Sea, widely known for its ties to the Eastern Band of Cherokees who used the underground lake for protection and council ceremonies. “The Council Room” holds many artifacts, many of which are still preserved to this day. Additional mural elements include a reference to the 2017 solar eclipse and Tennessee icons like the state butterfly, the zebra swallowtail; state flower, the iris; and the state bird, the mockingbird.
The mural was sponsored by the Arts Fund for East Tennessee, the City of Sweetwater, and the Tennessee Arts Commission’s FY 24 Rural Arts Project Support grant. DMA Events managed the project.
