Downtown Knoxville Dolly Parton mural gets full makeover
Published: Apr. 22, 2020 at 12:10 PM EDT
A mural of Dolly Parton in downtown Knoxville is getting a complete makeover after someone defaced it.
The mural was completed in 2019 by Colton Valentine, a street artist/muralist based in San Antonio, Texas. Dogwood Arts tapped local artist Megan Lingerfelt to restore and enhance the popular piece, providing funding through the Art in Public Places Mural Program.
“I was happy to be asked to fix Dolly after the graffiti two weeks ago. For one, I know that a lot of people love having her presence downtown and she couldn't remain in a vandalized state. And two, that wall never really seemed 'finished'; a sentiment shared by the original artist Colton Valentine. When Dogwood Arts asked me to give her a makeover I thought it was a great opportunity to make her shine. Colton contacted me first and when I asked him how he would feel if I made changes he was totally on board. So I went through the archives of Dolly photos and picked hair, clothing, and accessories that I felt embodied her down-to-earth, East TN spirit," said Lingerfelt. "Working on this scale, at least for me, is not a one day project. It was important however to cover the graffiti asap. So in the first couple of hours I painted over the black lips and then began working on other elements of the mural. Rendering an image this size is a process: add a bit here, lighten up this, move that a bit to the left...nothing is really done until it's DONE. When I worked on her eyes it happened in 3-4 stages, the hair has several layers, and the same thing happened with her lips. First they were pink, then red, hmm too wide, now they need more of a curl of a smile. Step back and assess, take a picture and look at the image in thumbnail scale, then reassess. Honestly, I still have one more day of work and I think she could use a brighter highlight on the bottom lip - they're still not done! Due to the attention the graffiti received, there were a handful of reporters who showed up to document the changes. They took several shots on the first day of the fix when perhaps it wasn't clear that she was still mid-makeover. I've heard there's been some negative feedback but the vast majority of people who have visited while I am painting have been very supportive. My hope is that once the wall is completed it is something that people downtown will continue to enjoy.”
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