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Off the Wall (Part 14)

 

Erlenborn Mural Nashville street art

This is the last in the Off the Wall series, as it was also the last mural completed in the Off the Wall project. This particular piece is by Tess Erlenborn. There’s a picture of this mural in sunnier light on her website. (I tend to take a lot of photos on grey days to avoid shadows.) I encourage you to explore her site and her Instagram page. I happened to catch her working on this mural just as she was getting started (see image below). The Off the Wall project itself was the brainchild of Tinsley Anne Dempsey, and it took some time to finish. It was well worth the effort, producing a mural gallery that is a must see in Nashville, and a very important piece of the Nashville visual landscape. This is also the end of this numbered series. I keep saying I won’t do one again, but the Nations Wall, the Elliston Garage, and the Berry Hill music murals pretty much demand it.

Tess Erlenborn street art Nashville

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

Located at 3020 Charlotte Avenue. This mural actually faces 28th Avenue North. Your best bet for parking is perhaps across the street at Cross Fit Nashville or street parking on 31st Avenue north of Charlotte.

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Mystery bird

Bird mural street art Nashville

Some months ago, this mural caught my eye while I was driving down Fourth Avenue, just before it merges with Second and becomes Nolensville Pike. It turned about to be on the back side of a building at 1281 Third Avenue. The building seemed to be under renovation, and some research shows that it is supposed to become Bar1281, a “pop-up” backyard bar with Hawaiian and  Japanese style food. It’s part of a larger development on this street being developed by Bento Box. It was also slated to open last October, but that date has come and gone without an opening. The mystery comes in the signature, which is probably “Stenz Art” but might be “Steitz Art.” Both have been complete rabbit holes to try to track down. While the bar is late in opening, construction on the back patio continues, and this shot is impossible to get any more, as the mural is now partially obscured.

UPDATE: It is indeed “Steitz Art.” I don’t know why I couldn’t find that link before.

Located at 1281 Third Avenue. There is some limited street parking on Third. As this is an active construction site, it might be best to wait until Bar 1281 opens to come and view the mural (and when you get some food and drinks to go with your art).

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Cocina Mexicana, RIP

Mexicana mural sign street art Nashville

I have long thought that I might put the hand-painted signs at Five Points Cocina Mexicana on the blog and seems that now is the time. Signs have gone up that indicate Cocina Mexicana will close on Apil 1 and will reopen sometime soon as a branch of Cilantro Mexican Grille. The original Cilantro is on 8th Avenue South and has appeared on this blog twice, so there’s a good possibility they will add art to this building as well. The Cocina Mexicana signs are unsigned and I haven’t had time to research the artist, but I wanted to put this up before they disappear. Definitely, call this endangered art.

Located at 972 Main Street. The murals are on the front and west sides of the building. Parking is available in back. Chow down and enjoy the art while you still can.

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As long as the grass shall grow

Meulman mural street art Nashville

On this blog, I have been a little slow on documenting the big murals downtown, and this is one of the last I’ve gotten to. Like many of these murals, this one is part of the Nashville Walls Project. It was created in 2016 (aren’t I timely?) by the Dutch artist Niels Shoe Meulman. It’s done in a style he calls “Calligrafiti,” mixing elements of graffiti and calligraphy. In this case, it was also a messy process, as you can see from the photo series on the NWP website. The words come from the chorus of a song written by Peter LaFarge and performed by Johnny Cash, “As Long as the Grass Shall Grow.” It’s found on Cash’s 1964 album, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, a concept album about the history and problems of Native Americans. It’s a reference to the broken promises in many of the treaties signed between the United States and Native Americans.

As long as the moon shall rise, as long as the rivers flow
As long as the sun will shine, as long as the grass shall grow

Located at 144 Fifth Avenue North, the address of the L & C Garage. It lies directly behind the Downtown Presbyterian Church. Obviously, there is parking, but as this is downtown, so none of the nearby parking is free.

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Gabby’s

Gabby's mural street art Nashville

Normally I would try to avoid posting a photo of a mural with stuff piled in front of it, but the tables and chairs on this patio at Gabby’s Burgers & Fries are a permanent part of the decor. Gabby’s opened in 2009 in what for many years had been the site of the historic Hap Townes restaurant beloved by many. Seriously, click right now and read that article by one of Nashville’s greatest writers, Tim Ghianni. I’m sorry I never got a chance to eat there, but apparently, the burgers at Gabby’s are pretty good. Along with a new menu came new art. The website link for the artist Vince Herrera painted on the mural is dead, but it wasn’t too hard to track down his Facebook and Instagram pages. On Instagram, you can see a few photos that show the process and reveal a few features now blocked by furniture, as well as telling us that Herrera has help from Mari Cristina. Apparently, this mural went up in July 2013. I’ve driven by that spot many times, but only noticed it recently. From the road, it is in something of a blink-and-you-miss-it spot. Take the time to look behind buildings – sometimes there’s art back there!

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Located at 493 Humpries Street. The restaurant is actually at the corner of Chestnut and Hagan streets, near Greer Stadium, while its parking lot faces Humphries. The mural is on the back side of the building. There is parking at Gabby’s and nearby side streets.

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Bare Bones Butcher

Cow mural street art sign Nashville

Some months before Bare Bones Butcher opened, it seemed likely a butcher was going into the new building at 51st and Illinois in The Nations. Either that or maybe a Mexican folk art store. Their quite visible sign (by their own account) is a product of I Saw The Sign, Meghan Wood’s hand-lettered sign and mural company. Their work is all over town and you’ve no doubt shopped at one of their clients, or at least driven on the interstate near the football stadium. While their work is generally more understated than that of many of our local muralists, by helping a number of local businesses up their graphics game, I Saw The Sign has become an important contributor to Nashville’s “look.”

Located at 906 51st Avenue North. There is parking on the backside of the building and on nearby side streets. Get you some fresh cuts and enjoy the art!

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First One

Sign mural street art Nashville

Who doesn’t love a great sign? First One Market on East Old Hickory Boulevard has a wonderfully chaotic sign, welcoming friends, extolling revolution, letting you know who’s boss (well, someone is boss, it’s not really clear) and assuring you that this is the place you can get your phone charged. Is the fist raised in protest holding a cup with a straw, or a walkie-talkie? I’m not sure, but I am sure it qualifies as art. I discovered this, by the way, when I decided to drive the entirety of Old Hickory Boulevard, minus of course the part that lies beneath the waters of Percy Priest Lake. Take a day and give it a try. It’s a great way to really get a grasp on the diversity of Nashville and Davidson County.

Located at 660 East Old Hickory Boulevard. The mural/sign is on the east side of the building. There is plenty of parking. Load up on cheap tobacco and beer and enjoy the art!

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