Brevard Lumber Arts District Mural
“There used to be a lumberyard and hardware store right here. I remember coming here with my dad. And, there was a train depot right there, just past the stop sign.”
-Numerous Brevard, NC locals stopping by the mural as it was being painted
Tens of thousands of board feet of lumber once rested behind a 45-foot-long by 20-foot-tall wall at the Brevard Lumberyard in Brevard, NC. Lots of that lumber, most likely was used years ago for houses, businesses, and weekend home improvement projects in the Brevard area. Today, on the front of that same wall, a giant painting represents the nostalgia of what “once was” at the Lumberyard. Artist Brian Tull and his wife Laura, completed the Brevard Lumber Arts District Mural in approximately one month in the fall of 2013.
Brian’s interview with the Transylvania Times newspaper in Brevard gives insight to his vision of the mural: “Like all of my paintings, my inspiration starts off with nostalgia,” Tull said. “I wanted to capture the spirit of a hard working, small-town person taking a break and reflecting on his community and the good in it. I visited Brevard for the first time early last year. The idea, thankfully, came to me fairly quickly. I think Josh Leder’s (Brevard Lumber Arts District’s investor) decision to preserve the Lumberyard’s name and what it stood and stands for is very wise. I wanted to carry that over to the mural, as well, and make the background, as well as the top hand-painted letters, look a little distressed; prompting the viewer to ask if it’s been there awhile.”
From Artist Brian Tull:
“There’s more than just paint and paint brushes involved in a public art mural. Thank you so much to Josh Leder and The Haen Gallery for your generosity and giving me the opportunity to paint the Brevard Lumber Arts District Mural and share it with locals and visitors alike.
Independent contractor, Lee Ann Rorex coordinated the prepping, priming and base-coat on the wall. Wayne Hollingsworth of Rustic Illusions and Josh Fuller of Fuller Land and Tree, Inc., both based in Brevard, NC, provided much appreciated technical support. These folks did all the hard work to allow me to have fun!
Ed and Jessica at the local Sherwin Williams in Brevard deserves a huge thank you, as well. Go see them for all your painting needs!
A big thank you to Crump Electric (Selmer, TN) for the use of a truck, trailer, and a scissor lift. You won’t find better electricians, or, in my case, a scissor lift!
My wife Laura did the base coat for me on the ENTIRE “truck” portion of the mural; the wheel, tire, truck fender; everything! This saved me literally weeks of “finding” the painting, and allowed me to just go in and do what Artist Brian Tull does.
God blessed us with extraordinarily great weather and kept us healthy through the twenty-nine days we were in Brevard, NC. We met so many great new friends and enjoyed time with visitors and locals stopping by while painting.
Brevard, North Carolina, truly is a genuinely great, small town with so many fantastic people, arts, restaurants and landscape; with so much going for it…especially in the Brevard Lumber Arts District.”
The Haen Gallery
52 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC I 828-254-8577
200 King Street, Brevard, NC I 828-883-3268
www.thehaengallery.com
Brevard Lumber Arts District
200 King Street, Brevard, NC I 828.553.5836
www.brevardlumberyard.com
About
Artists: Brian Tull and Laura Beth Tull
www.briantull.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Artist-Brian-Tull/156002204416097
www.twitter.com/artistbriantull
Model: Tony Tanner
Truck: Wayne Elam, 1950 Chevrolet