The $15K grant awarded by Buckingham Foundation and Aertson Midtown help to fund the final five artists for the OFF THE WALL project on Charlotte Avenue, including Julia Martin Wimmer, Sarah Liz Tate, Omari Booker, Kyle Brooks, and Tess Erlenborn.
OFF THE WALL Charlotte Avenue is slated to be completed by fall 2018 thanks to the final five artists chosen to complete the street mural project. Julia Martin Wimmer and Sarah Liz Tate, the first artists selected, completed their murals in June. The remaining artists funded by the grant are Omari Booker, Kyle Brooks, and Tess Erlenborn. In celebration of the completion of the project, there will be a launch event planned for early fall when the murals are completed.
OFF THE WALL Nashville began in 2014 as an effort to promote creative place making in Nashville’s development. The project’s goal is to promote thoughtful revitalization and collaboration among the community and the arts. Buckingham Foundation and Aertson Midtown’s $15K grant will fund panels by Julia Martin Wimmer, Sarah Liz Tate, Omari Booker, Kyle Brooks, and Tess Erlenborn. The launch party details involving the community will be announced next month.
“When I sat down to design this mural, I wanted to create something that felt true to Nashville, but also felt true to my artwork and my story. I am really passionate about advocating for mental healthcare,” says Sarah Liz Tate, a Buckingham Foundation sponsored artist. “When I saw how big the wall was and realized thousands of people would be passing it every day, I thought it was a great opportunity to proclaim a message of hope over the city. The saying ‘It’s gonna be okay’ (I.G.B.O.K. for short) is a phrase that was coined after the 2010 Nashville floods.”
Omari Booker, another local artist selected explains the meaning behind his piece. “The Charlotte corridor where the murals are located is an important part of Nashville. One side of the street leads to Centennial Park over to Vanderbilt, while the other side leads to Hadley Park, Tennessee State University and Fisk University. I would like there to be a representation of the whole neighborhood, and the community love and resilience of North Nashville. The challenges of North Nashville and the entire city are ever-present, but the children breathe life, hope, and love into our community.”
Tinsley Anne Dempsey is the founder of OFF THE WALL Nashville, where she has actively sought out local and regional artists to transform the city. With 22 murals and counting, Tinsley explains why street art is important to her: “Advocacy in the arts is shining a light on community issues such as mental health, neighborhood shifts or local non-profits like Poverty & the Arts and the Oasis Center. These murals have an impact and speak to the city as a whole. I’m proud of what we’ve done and continue to do with this program.”
The gallery wall is located at 3020 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville Tennessee 37209. Visitors are able to see current works completed by artists Brandon Donahue, Jay Jenkins, Kevin Bongang, Alic Daniel, and more on display. Visit https://www.offthewallnashville.com/ to learn more.
About OFF THE WALL Nashville
Revitalization is about creating beautiful spaces that bring people together. Community. Collaboration. Our mission is to promote the value of public art. I believe that cities with art encourage citizens, artists, and entrepreneurs to be restless innovators. It is my hope to encourage a creative city movement that keeps Nashville’s urban planning picture in mind with thoughtful placemaking uniting artists and community to inspire social change.
About Buckingham Foundation
Buckingham Foundation is the philanthropic partner of Buckingham Companies. Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation has grown its grant giving capacity to support affordable housing opportunities for families in need, to encourage participation in arts and culture initiatives and to invest in local communities. Buckingham Foundation invests in organizations through meaningful grants, volunteers thousands of hours to hundreds of nonprofit and civic organizations and goes beyond typical philanthropy to open doors that create positive change. The Foundation’s mission is to create positive change in the areas of affordable housing, community and economic development, and arts and culture. To learn more, visit www.buckinghamfoundationinc.org.
