Knoxville’s new mural is complete. The city won the mural from Iowa artist Ben Schuh through a community pride contest by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Schuh says that while the mural depicts local landmarks, it allows for deeper interpretation and appreciation.

“The project is all-inclusive of Knoxville, Lake Red Rock, imagery that people will associate with the area. But it will get people to look at it and think a little differently and understand the purpose behind the concept. Everything in this contest in hand-drawn, the #IChooseKnoxville is all drawn by me, that text does not exist anywhere else. I developed it exclusively for this project. Anyone who can pick up on that might have my sense of appreciation of typography, whereas the people who drive by in an old farm truck who say you did a good job with the flag, might be thinking about how it relates to their history in Knoxville. That’s how art allows people to grow with it and alongside it.”

The mural includes landmarks such as the Knoxville Raceway, Ken Locke Stadium, the Mile Long Bridge, and more. The mural painting began last Tuesday, and took less than a week to finish. Schuh is an experienced artist who has traveled the nation for similar projects. Learn more about Schuh and this project on today’s In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard.