Project manager Lizzie Kripke says this was Day 2 of the M.L. King Mural project in June when the "big blank canvas" was still "in need of some serious pressure washing."M.L. King Prayer Breakfast
In other events honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., the Unity Group of Chattanooga will present the 46th annual prayer breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at Greater Tucker Baptist Church, 1115 N. Moore Road. Ericka L. Matthews, municipal judge for the city of Spartanburg, S.C., will be speak on "There Is No Tomorrow Without Today," the theme of the weeklong celebration. A $25 donation is requested. Other events may be found at unitygroupofchattanooga.wordpress.com.
Mercedes Llanos is one of the artists who painted the giant mural on the walls of the AT&T building on M.L. King Boulevard.
The M.L. King Mural on the AT&T building adds a bright pop of color to the cityscape.The mammoth mural that wraps around the AT&T building at 300 E. M.L. King Blvd. will be dedicated in ceremonies on Monday, Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
While you're on-site, see if you can find the 9's hidden within it. Or follow the imagery representing Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Or recognize the people depicted in the paint.
Public Art Chattanooga, a division of the city of Chattanooga, commissioned the $200,000 project and tapped nationally recognized artist Meg Saligman to create it. Based in Philadelphia, Saligman is known for her collaborative process and intricate designs. At 42,179 square feet, this is her largest project to date.
It was completed in about six months by fewer than a dozen artists, whose supplies ranged from delicate paintbrushes to motorized, high-rise cranes.
Though headed by Meg Saligman Studios, the project gave six local artists the chance to work with visiting artists to learn techniques for large-scale projects. Chattanoogan Hollie Berry shared lead artist duties with James Tafel Shuster of Philadelphia. The core team included Aneir Fernandez, Rondell Crier, Anna Carll and Mercedes Llanos of Chattanooga, plus Efrain Herrera and E.E. Yates of Philadelphia. Shaun LaRose of Chattanooga was project adviser.
Hannah Hahn and Regine McDavid of the UTC history department served summer internships assisting with research and coordinating community paint days in which volunteers helped with paint-by-numbers portions of project.
Saligman's designs are site-specific, with themes coming directly from the surrounding environment. The artist led multiple input sessions and interviewed a number of M.L. King District residents and business owners to inform the design and gain an understanding of the community. Titled "We Will Not Be Satisfied Until," the mural centers on black history and the evolution of the neighborhood.
MLK MURAL SCHEDULE
Unless otherwise noted, events take place at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.
Friday, Jan. 15
* 7-11 p.m. United in Freedom: In Honor of MLK; Jazzanooga and Bessie Smith Cultural Center present an evening of music, dance and celebration, $5 donation
Saturday, Jan. 16
* 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free mural workshop for artists led by Meg Saligman; presented by Public Art Chattanooga
Sunday, Jan. 17
* 1:30-3 p.m. Gospel and Soul Brunch, featuring Olivet Praise Team; presented by Jazzanooga to honor the mural artists
* 5-7 p.m. Jazz: The Next Generation Project at Jazzanooga Arts Space, 431 E. M.L. King Blvd.; Jazzanooga honors 2014-15 recipients of William Price Music Scholarships
Monday, Jan. 18
* 8:30 a.m.-noon. MLK Day of Service; some 500 volunteers have signed up for community projects; music begins at 10:30 a.m. on lawn with Kimberly Thomas, Shirley & Jermaine Purifory and Olivet Baptist Church Mass Choir
* Noon-12:30 p.m. MLK mural dedication on Bessie Smith lawn, with Public Art Chattanooga Director Peggy Townsend, featuring singer Neshawn Bynum
* 12:30-1 p.m. Music by Tiffany Coleman and Lon Eldridge
* 1-2 p.m. "The Making of the M.L. King Mural," artist presentation by Meg Saligman, with Chattanooga Public Art director Peggy Townsend
* 3-4:30 p.m. WTCI movie, presented by Jazzanooga and Bessie Smith Cultural Center
Also Monday, the Unity Group of Chattanooga has the following events planned in honor of M.L. King Jr.
* 3 p.m. M.L. King Birthday Parade and March from intersection of North Moore Road, Brainerd Road and Club Drive (between Waffle House and Ridgedale Baptist Church) and ending at Brained High School; lineup begins at 1:45 p.m.
* 5 p.m. Main event at Brainerd High School features concert with Phusion Dance Group, TruSaint & TureMog of Savior Gang and Big Mike Mic
MURAL BY THE NUMBERS
* The painting is 42,179 square feet, the largest in the Southeast and one of the five largest in the nation. It is the first to wrap an entire city block.
* The mural required 1 year of planning and research and six months of painting.
* From first sketch to final stroke, the artists averaged 2,400 square feet of painting each week. That is equivalent to completing a five-story square canvas every seven days for five months straight.
* The 20 individuals depicted in the mural are either historic or living people who represent aspects of M.L. King Boulevard and Chattanooga.
* Helping paint the portraits were 565 volunteers from the community, who used a paint-by-numbers method on acrylic cloth, which was then applied onto the wall.
* More than 420 gallons of colored paint, 120 brushes, five paint sprayers and 120 years of acrylic fabric were used to complete the mural.
* The artists logged more than 6,100 hours painting the mural. The team worked in shifts from sunup to sundown seven days a week.
* The mural's life expectancy is 25 to 30 years.
* There are four hidden 9s throughout the mural. They pay homage to the glory days of the past, when M.L. King Boulevard was called Ninth Street, or "the Big Nine."