Artists: Whitney Landwehrmann
Material: Exterior latex paint, latex aerosol, and clear varnish
Installed: April 2025
Purpose: 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 mural's start was delayed until spring 2025. What we thought would be a quick installation turned into a yearlong test of endurance, creativity, and teamwork.
These murals draw inspiration from the community, with community members and locals weighing in on what makes the High Country home. Their responses directly inspired the murals' natural imagery. With guidance from Blue Ridge Conservancy’s Director of the Middle Fork Greenway, Wendy Patoprsty, to ensure ecologically accurate depictions, artist Landwehrmann organized the mural 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 of the High Country, ultimately a reminder that we are all connected through our shared love of this land.
