Dedication of Rockabilly Highway Mural III, June 10, 2023. Titled “Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down” the 25’ x 20’ image pays homage to McNairy County's Black string band heritage.
Arts in McNairy's wildly successful public art initiative began as a way to honor the depths of the region's musical roots. Artist Brian Tull's midcentury photorealism was a perfect compliment to AiM's creative placemaking goals. Tull's first mural, Rockabilly Highway Mural, was completed in 2009, receiving an avalanche of media attention. touching off The Rockabilly Highway Revival sponsored by the McNairy County Chamber of Commerce. A second mural, Rockabilly Highway Mural II, commissioned in 2012, was equally popular with locals and visitors alike, cementing Selmer's reputation for world class public art.
In commemoration of Arts in McNairy's twentieth anniversary in 2021, the organization commissioned Tull to paint a third mural. Dedicated in 2023, the mural completed a triad of musically themed public art in downtown Selmer. Tull commented, "I first heard of and listened to Black old-time string band music over ten years ago when the Carolina Chocolate Drops opened for Old Crow Medicine Show at the Ryman Auditorium. I’ve been a listener ever since. Shawn Pitts recently dug up a rich history of Black old time string bands in rural McNairy County Tennessee and, at the same time, we were discussing painting another mural. I said, “let’s paint that! I met a man in the street by the mural one day taking a break. He stopped by a few times during the duration of the mural and we chatted about small town life, and life in general. My conversations with John Wayne Surratt were uplifting, inspiring me to title the mural “Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down,” It’s a song from Willie Watson, originally by Blind Alfred Reed.
Tull's murals are a visual representation of Southwest Tennessee's diverse musical culture. The first mural depicts the raucous energy of a rockabilly band in action, while the second offers a more contemplative nod to the rockabilly's country roots. The third installation pays homage to the African American influence so essential to the development of rockabilly, while honoring the depths of the area's Black string band heritage. Together, the three popular public art installations provide a concise history of rockabilly music in three beautiful images.
Today, as a featured destination in the Tennessee Music Pathways program, downtown Selmer attracts cultural tourist from around the globe. AiM's approach to public art is also considered a model for rural placemaking. The musically themed murals and Trail of Music Legends markers offer a satisfying sense of place, beauty, interest and authentic musical heritage to the McNairy County seat.
In commemoration of Arts in McNairy's twentieth anniversary in 2021, the organization commissioned Tull to paint a third mural. Dedicated in 2023, the mural completed a triad of musically themed public art in downtown Selmer. Tull commented, "I first heard of and listened to Black old-time string band music over ten years ago when the Carolina Chocolate Drops opened for Old Crow Medicine Show at the Ryman Auditorium. I’ve been a listener ever since. Shawn Pitts recently dug up a rich history of Black old time string bands in rural McNairy County Tennessee and, at the same time, we were discussing painting another mural. I said, “let’s paint that! I met a man in the street by the mural one day taking a break. He stopped by a few times during the duration of the mural and we chatted about small town life, and life in general. My conversations with John Wayne Surratt were uplifting, inspiring me to title the mural “Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down,” It’s a song from Willie Watson, originally by Blind Alfred Reed.
Tull's murals are a visual representation of Southwest Tennessee's diverse musical culture. The first mural depicts the raucous energy of a rockabilly band in action, while the second offers a more contemplative nod to the rockabilly's country roots. The third installation pays homage to the African American influence so essential to the development of rockabilly, while honoring the depths of the area's Black string band heritage. Together, the three popular public art installations provide a concise history of rockabilly music in three beautiful images.
Today, as a featured destination in the Tennessee Music Pathways program, downtown Selmer attracts cultural tourist from around the globe. AiM's approach to public art is also considered a model for rural placemaking. The musically themed murals and Trail of Music Legends markers offer a satisfying sense of place, beauty, interest and authentic musical heritage to the McNairy County seat.
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Photo credits: Huffoto (Arts in McNairy's official photographer)
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Arts in McNairy | 205 W Court Ave, Selmer, TN | PO Box 66, Selmer, TN 38375 | 731-435-3288| [email protected]