Church Street Murals

Part I:

These two murals are not titled but are referred to by the artists’ names. Rone is an artist from Melbourne, Australia, and Curiot is an artist from Mexico. The Cornerstone Building on Sixth Avenue North was one of the first buildings to feature public murals created by the Nashville Walls Project. Co-founder of the Nashville Walls Project, Brian Greif, talked about these two murals and another that you will see on the back part of this building: He said: “Initially getting building owners to agree to murals was difficult. Everyone loved the idea, but no one wanted to be first. Fortunately we met a brave downtown property owner named Dan Maddox. Dan gave us three great walls on a building he owns in the downtown Arts District. Once the city saw the first series of murals, building owners started calling us asking for them.”

Rone, whose real name is Tyrone Wright, began as a street artist in Melbourne in the early 2000s. He has painted over seventy murals on walls from New York to Dubai to Toyko and everywhere in between. Rone is best known for his portrayal of haunting, stylized images of women’s faces—as you can see here in this 2016 mural. Another common thread through his work is Rone’s uncanny ability to “find the friction point between beauty and decay.”

Curiot, whose real name is Favio Martinez, was born in western Mexico near Lake Chapala. He moved to California to attend school and then returned to Mexico. The Curiot mural integrates images from Mexican folklore with bright colors and futuristic forms. The works are highly detailed, rich in color, and often portray mythical beasts. Inspired by Ancient American peoples and culture, Curiot weaves together dynamic and dystopic visions that explore the relationships among man, animal, and nature. 

The building itself, known today as the Cornerstone, also has a rich history. Completed in 1894, it was designed by a Philadelphia architect and was constructed on the original site of Christ Church Cathedral. The Fulcher and Dyas Brick company provided pressed bricks made on site. The owner's name, James Wilcox, was chiseled into the stone over the arched entry. The name was mistakenly spelled with two L's and was cut too deep to be corrected. The seven-story building featured the latest technology for that time: an elevator, electric lights, and steam heat. The Cornerstone building has housed many businesses and offices over the years including a men’s tailor, and haberdashery (or hat shop), a candy store, a drugstore, and a department store. 

Across the street you will see the Nashville Public Library, which holds many works of art, including the Book Fountain statue outside on the corner, murals of Nashville’s development on the third floor, and other sculptures and paintings within the building. Even the doors are works of art! We encourage you to explore public art in the library on your own.  

Continue on Church Street until you reach the end of the block. Turn RIGHT on Sixth Avenue North, staying on the RIGHT side of the street. The murals, Piecing It All Together and Gone Fishing, are on your LEFT. Continue walking and turn to your right at the edge of the St. Cloud Building. Walk up the stairs, and enter the parking lot on the back side of the building, where you will see the Herakut dog mural.

Part II:

These three murals—Piecing It All Together, Gone Fishing, and the Herakut—provide a visual example of the transformation of Nashville street art over the last two decades, as well as the community's sustained interest in public murals. Piecing It All Together and Gone Fishing were done by local artist Michael Cooper and created in 2000 for the Work & Greer Building. Both murals serve as a backdrop to Church Street's pocket park, located across Church Street from the downtown Nashville Public Library. Gone Fishing lends a fresh facade and an air of neighborly camaraderie to an otherwise plain and industrial wall of brick and concrete. Located on the other side of the street, the Herakut mural is a much more recent addition. Sponsored by the Nashville Walls Project and painted by the German street-art duo known as Herakut, this project was completed in 2016. Jasmin Siddiqui is known as Hera, and her partner Falk Lehmann, is known as Akut. The blending of these names make up Herakut, and the partners have been painting street art since 2002.

The red brick of the Cornerstone Building contrasts with the blue dog who holds a small girl, saying, "One day, I will rescue your brother, too." The brother is shown on the left behind the building’s barred windows. The graffiti-style lettering is also a feature of Herakut. Their use of words not only add to the imagery of their murals but also convey poignant messages. There are other common elements found in their art. According to art critic Nicole Figuerola, “Herakut’s street art conveys a myriad of emotions, typically through the main focus of their work: the eyes. . . . What's more, there is a repetitive theme of both animal imagery and human subjects, particularly children, found in most pieces.”

Five murals on two buildings. Taken together, they reflect the evolution of Nashville’s public art over the last two decades. The Cornerstone Building’s more recent murals and the older murals on the Work & Greer Building show us how unassuming brick walls can become inspiring canvases for street artists. Next up, we will go to the heart of our city’s vibrant art district on Fifth Avenue North.

Return to Sixth Avenue N. and turn LEFT. Once you reach Church Street, turn LEFT, and retrace your steps passing by our earlier stop, once you reach the end of the block, cross Fifth Avenue North and turn LEFT on the sidewalk that runs along the right hand side of the street. Walk up Fifth Avenue North toward the Arcade. Stop in front of the Arcade for our next stop.