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BY BECKY WOOD, MANAGING EDITOR
New College Street Mural Celebrates the Diverse Student Body and Creative Arts at Austin Peay
Since the creation of its creative arts subcommittee, the Austin Peay State University Foundation was in search of a bold and interactive project to bring awareness to the creative arts at Austin Peay.
Ultimately, the answer was right in front of them – inspiration struck in the form of a long white wall stretched between the Barnes & Noble Ann Ross Bookstore and the Jenkins Building, which houses the Office of University Advancement. While Clarksville is home to several impressive murals, none had yet been produced for the university.
That void has been filled by a new eyecatching work of art. The final design is a collaboration between local artist Olasubomi Aka-Bashorun and APSU studio art major Karley Davis. AkaBashorun is the artist behind several well-known murals in town, and Davis is currently in her junior year at Austin Peay.
“We always wanted to incorporate our students, but we weren’t sure what that would look like,” explained Jerica Swiger, Director of Development for APSU’s Office of University Advancement. “So, we put out a call for artists. Karley submitted a body of work that really made us pay attention.”
For her winning submission, Davis was inspired by the variety of tattoo shops that can be found in Clarksville. “I love tattoos,” said Davis. “I wanted to combine that element of Clarksville with Austin Peay in an American traditional style... It’s been such a rewarding experience.”
Her original submission has been incorporated into the mural’s much larger design, which features a diverse range of students along with Austin Peay’s Browning Building and GOV-1 helicopter. The wall integrates a variety of interactive elements, including a scavenger hunt for small Tennessee-related icons hidden among the larger figures.
“A goal of the mural is to bring the two sides of campus together – many people don’t recognize that this is still Austin Peay on the other side of College Street,” said Swiger. “We’re creating our own little destination here on campus.”
Funding and materials for the mural are courtesy of generous donations by the Jenkins Family, Orgain Building Supply, and Thompson’s Paint.
“We’re really thankful for the community embracing this project,” said Swiger. “We hope that this is just the beginning.”