Finding Common Ground: The AARP Tunnel Mural Project Comes to Life
Mural artist Whitney Landwehrmann at the Middle Fork Greenway Underpass ribbon cutting this past August (2025)
What began as a vision of connection, beauty, and community has finally come to life, though the road to completion was anything but smooth.
In the spring of 2024, the Watauga Arts Council received the AARP Community Challenge Grant to bring a vibrant mural project to the trail tunnels in our community. The project was ambitious, with a December deadline that felt perfectly achievable at the time. But nature had other plans.
When Hurricane Helene swept through the region, the start of the mural was delayed until spring 2025. What we thought would be a quick installation turned into a yearlong test of endurance, creativity, and teamwork.
Weathering the Unexpected
Mural artist Whitney Landwehrmann, known for her whimsical yet deeply grounded style, expected the painting process to take no more than a month. Instead, it took six months of persistence and patience to complete.
“We didn’t realize the tunnels sweat,” Whitney laughed, recalling the many times she had to stop painting because the walls were damp from rain. “Every time it rained, the walls would literally drip. I’d have to wait days for them to dry before I could start again.”
But Whitney never gave up. With grit and determination, she carried on through a rainy spring and summer, transforming those concrete walls into a living, breathing celebration of our mountain community.
Wild Inspiration
During those long painting days, Whitney wasn’t alone. Wildlife often stopped by to keep her company — even sometimes to inspire her art.
“One day, I looked up from my work and saw a deer just watching me paint,” she said. “Another day, a river otter scurried right through the tunnel. It felt like the wildlife was giving me their approval.”
Those encounters found their way into the murals themselves. The graceful deer, playful otter, and even a woman fly-fishing, inspired by a group of 12 women Whitney saw fishing along the trail, now adorn the walls as tributes to the life that animates our shared spaces.
Art Meets Community
The mural ultimately became a gathering place. People stopped by daily to watch Whitney work. Some formed friendships. One woman even brought her end-of-life-care patient every week to enjoy the art-in-progress.
Students from Art for All Abilities visited to see the murals take shape and to feel the impact of public art in their own community. As the months went on, foot traffic along the trail significantly increased, a living testament to how art can draw people together.
“The community’s enthusiasm has been incredible,” said Amber Bateman, Executive Director of the Watauga Arts Council. “We see residents posting photos and encouraging friends to join them on walks to see the murals. I have had runners approach me at restaurants thanking me for creating spaces that provide interest on the paths. Public art gives us a shared experience, something that unites us and helps us see our place in the bigger picture.”
Whitney chats with Leila Jackson during a site visit from Blue Ridge Conservancy and WAC
Building Partnerships and Shared Purpose
The Watauga Arts Council and Blue Ridge Conservancy have deepened their partnership through this project, recognizing how art can also be a tool for education about local wildlife, ecology, and recreation.
“The murals don’t just beautify the space, they instill a sense of safety, and prevent grafiti while attracting visitors. Moreover, they tell the story of our land and the life it sustains,” said Wendy Patoprsty of the Blue Ridge Conservancy. “The Blue Ridge Conservancy is thrilled to partner with the Watauga Arts Council to bring murals to the Middle Fork Greenway. These artworks celebrate our community’s creativity and invite everyone to experience art in the beauty of our shared outdoor spaces.”
Thanks to the Watauga Tourism and Development Authority and South Arts, the project will soon have another layer of engagement in the near future. New signage and virtual mapping will enhance the experience with short films and digital content accessible through QR codes on each mural.
Amber explains, “We’re excited to use modern technology to deepen that sense of place and belonging. Visitors will be able to learn more about the art, the wildlife, and the history that connects us all.”
About the Mural Concept: Common Ground
The mural’s theme, Common Ground, emerged from a community-wide effort to gather input across backgrounds, ages, and perspectives. Originally, the team planned to collect ideas through a postcard exchange, inviting people to share how they wanted to be represented in the mural.
When the hurricane disrupted those plans, the project shifted to something even more powerful: “Cards of Hope.” Instead of standard data collection prompts, we collected “Cards of Hope”, inviting people to express hope for those who the storm had impacted, gratitude to those who helped, and love for the land that needs healing. These heartfelt notes revealed a powerful common thread: a deep love for the land.
“We wanted to encourage creativity and connection during a difficult time,” Amber recalled. “We asked people to share what they loved most about living in these mountains and what connects us all, no matter our differences. The responses were beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply human.”
Those stories directly inspired the imagery in the murals. With guidance from Wendy to ensure the depictions were ecologically accurate, Whitney organized the artwork into three sections:
Aquatic life and activities: Representing the vibrant world beneath the water.
Wildlife above water: Celebrating the creatures that roam our forests and fields.
Engaging with the Land: Exploring how we, as people, interact with the land around us.
The result is a breathtaking visual journey that honors both nature and community, ultimately a reminder that we are all connected through our shared love of this land.
Edge of the tunnel murals
A Celebration of Resilience and Connection
What started as a far-off dream between Wendy and Amber to somehow connect art with the trails is now becoming a living reflection of our community’s spirit: resilient, creative, and full of heart.
Through storms, delays, and unexpected challenges, this project reminds us that even when progress feels slow, beauty is still unfolding, one brushstroke (or spray paint can) at a time.
Not Done Yet…
The Watauga Tourism and Development Authority just approved seed funding for Whitney to complete the final tunnel in that section of the trail that runs underneath the Tweetsie driveway. WAC hopes to secure a match by the Spring of 2026 to complete this final tunnel in this section of the Middle Fork trail. The completion of this tunnel will create a cohesive, connected experience for all who travel the trails, encouraging exercise and intrigue from one tunnel to the next.
The AARP Tunnel Mural is part of the Watauga Arts Council’s broader Art in the Outdoors initiative, a strategic effort to strengthen the connection between art and outdoor recreation.
Learn more about the initiative here.
Join the Experience!
We invite you to visit the Common Ground murals along the trail and see for yourself how art continues to bring us together.
