Hopkinsville City Council voted Tuesday night to allocate $75,000 in matching funds for a National Endowment for the Arts grant aimed at creating several downtown murals.
The city will submit its NEA application to the Grants for Arts Projects this week for the mural initiative titled “If These Walls Could Talk,” said Downtown Renaissance Director Holly Boggess. Local officials anticipate they will hear in April 2023 if the grant is approved, she told Hoptown Chronicle.
If the full amount is awarded — $75,000 from NEA and $75,000 from the city — it could fund up to five murals.
The designs and locations have not been determined, said Boggess. But some early ideas include suggestions for murals that would highlight local notables and the county’s agricultural heritage.
“We really want to engage with the public,” said Boggess, adding that the city wants to work with local residents and organizations such as the Hopkinsville Art Guild and the Pennyroyal Arts Council.
The Walker Collaborative, a strategic plan for downtown Hopkinsville, previously identified 11 prime locations for murals. Those include:
- Back of Main Street Tavern, 801 S. Main St.
- Founders Square wall, East Ninth Street
- Side of Main Street Tavern, 801 S. Main St.
- Side of Cornerstone Information Systems, 800 S. Main St.
- Arthur Plaza, East Sixth Street
- Back of the Bastin Building, 1000 block of South Main Street
- Side of Childers & Arthurs and back of The Hall Closet, 214 E. 10th St.
- Back and side of Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority, 401 E. Ninth St.
- Side of Blackhawk Bakery, 409 E. Ninth St.
- Side of Whistle Stop Donuts, 420 E. Ninth St.
However, Boggess said other locations might also merit a look if the NEA grant is awarded.
Murals have become increasingly popular in Hopkinsville — especially downtown. Several have been painted in the last few years. Those are located at:
- Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library
- Sixth Street near South Virginia Street
- Liberty Street near East Ninth Street
- Trail of Tears Commemorative Park
- Grace and Mercy residential program
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.
