My parents never sent me to a summer camp, unless you count the ones for a sports team in high school, but if they had I think I would have liked the mural art camp that happened this week on Sixth Street.
Twelve girls signed up for the Pennyroyal Arts Council’s day camp with Hopkinsville artist Jennifer Bowman, who led the group through the process of painting a mural on the side of the Bella Marie Boutique building at Sixth and Virginia streets. The girls had a big reveal Friday morning, and the mayor and judge-executive came out for the occasion.
The mural features the letters for “HOPTOWN” inside a colorful mosaic. The names of the campers are listed beside the mural.
Hopkinsville has several outdoor murals, especially downtown. But I think this is only the second one that will become a frequent backdrop for social media photos. (The first one being the 2017 eclipse mural next to Whistle Stop Donuts.)
The new mural is just the right size and height for selfies or big group photos shot by someone from across the street, and it will be a neat draw for locals and out-of-towners. I’ve already taken a photo of my Golden retriever, Summer, posing in front of the Hoptown mural.
Here’s a video that follows the progress of making the mural.
Did you know that years ago that wall featured a painted advertisement for 7-Up? I shot a photo about 15 years ago in which the advertisement was still somewhat visible.
(Youtube screenshot)
But the old soft drink ad had just about faded away when the camp artists stepped in, and it was time for something new on that brick wall. I like what they created.
In case you didn’t know, the campers were Charley Rose Westerfield, Skylar Cantrell, Jennie Watts, Angel Cowell, Trinitee Dillard, Madison Campbell, Alyssa Kline, Addelynn Keeling, Allie Farri, Lizzy Stout, Eva Blankenberger and Keisha Lyon.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
