Murals on Fifth

The five-story Rivive mural anchors the southwest corner of the Blush Boutique building at 144 Fifth Avenue North. It is a great example of Nashville’s intentional street art scene. Rivive is a commissioned piece that both beautifies the city and amplifies an important environmental message. This 2017 mural was created by Brooklyn-based Beau Stanton, whose influences of mythology and the classics are clearly seen. The goddess figure pours water from an urn, which in turn provides life for the blue-scaled fish swimming below. This work was sponsored by The Nashville Walls Project, a privately-funded initiative bringing world-class street artists to some of Nashville’s oldest buildings. The Walls Project partnered with Rivive Nashville, a non-profit organization charged with educating the public about water contamination and the importance of Nashville’s waterways, including the Cumberland River, Harpeth River, and Stones River. As Terry Cook, director of the Nature Conservancy of Tennessee reminds us, "Nashville started as a river city. From trade and commerce and transportation, that's what attracted people here and got people here."

Walk just a few yards to the far corner of the building. Be sure to watch for cars entering and exiting the parking deck. The next mural, As Long As the Grass Shall Grow, is on the corner, on both sides of this building. Take a RIGHT into the alleyway between the back of Downtown Presbyterian Church and the Blush Boutique building and parking deck. Once you are there, hit play to resume the tour. 

There are three additional murals in this area all within a few feet of each other. Explore the murals as you listen to the stories behind them. One of the early works of The Nashville Walls Project was by Neils Meulman, also known as Shoe, who hails from Amsterdam. This mural, located on the northeast corner of a parking garage, showcases Meulman's signature style, calligraffiti, which blends calligraphy and graffiti. The piece recites lyrics from the Johnny Cash song "As Long As The Grass Shall Grow,” from his 1964 album entitled Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. It was one of his most consequential albums. Johnny Cash has many deep ties to Middle Tennessee and was one of country music’s first superstars. Cash’s album Bitter Tears was released at the height of the “Red Power” movement, in which Indigenous peoples fought for their civil rights and rights to their land. 

During this turbulent time of social change, Johnny Cash released this album to bring attention to the plight of Native Americans. who suffered lower life expectancy and greater poverty. Even President Lyndon B. Johnson agreed, calling Indigenous Peoples “Forgotten Americans,” in a 1964 speech. According to Rolling Stone, “Cash’s album remains among one of the best-reviewed in his collection of socially aware material, mixing traditional folk ballads and new material throughout.” In 2014, Sony Music released a fiftieth anniversary edition of this album, entitled Look Again into the Wind, with a collaboration of current artists such as Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, and Steve Earle. Much of it was recorded right here in Nashville. You can learn more about Johnny Cash on our Music in Music City South Tour and for more on Native Americans in this area see our Early History Tour. 

Further down the alleyway is Beautiful Decay by Tavar Zawacki of Berlin. Pause the narration and hit play again once you reach the mural.

Zawaki started his graffiti journey by signing his art with a pseudonym that reads “ABOVE,” rather than disclosing his true identity. This piece is the first work he did using his real name. The mural symbolizes his personal journey at the time, as the shadow represent him stepping out of the shadows of anonymity. Zawaki sought to create an optical illusion with this work—visitors who position themselves at just the right angle appear to be peeling the arrow off the wall.

Across from Beautiful Decay, in the alleyway of the Downtown Presbyterian Church, is Mural Odyssey by Minneapolis-based artists Isaac Arvold, John Grider, Eric Inkala, and Drew Peterson. This work was commissioned in 2007, making it one of the older murals in downtown Nashville. Beautiful Decay was sponsored by the Twist Gallery located in the Arcade, which will be a stop later in the tour. Although the gallery closed, we are left with this mural masterpiece, which features unique shapes and hybrid animals and a blend of graffiti and stencil art. 

Walk uphill along Fifth Avenue North until you reach Church Street. Cross Fifth Avenue and turn LEFT on Church Street. Continue west along Church Street until the building that features the RONE mural is visible from the parking lot on the right. You will also see the library further down on your left.