past public art projects
Our Jackson Home is contracted by the City of Jackson to install new public art installations. Currently, our focus is on the arts district in Downtown Jackson. Check out our past projects here and read more about the story behind each artist who created them.
patterns of home
summer 2026
ashley akerson
Rooted in history and shaped by community, Patterns of Home invites viewers to experience Royal Street as a living landscape of memory, movement, and belonging. This communal space has long been part of Ashley’s own rhythm — a place where she’s gathered with others to dine, pause, and retreat from the busyness the world often demands. It has always offered an invitation to slow down and be present. That same spirit guides my work as a creator: to offer others a gentle reminder to breathe, move with intention, and simply be their best selves.
The mural brings together organic forms and bold, contrasting color fields that guide the community through the space, creating a visual rhythm that echoes the sense of connection encouraged by the surrounding businesses.
Threaded throughout the design are repeated orange linear elements, a gentle visual reference to railroad tracks. These lines honor the legacy of the nearby railroad depot and the historic Neely House, which once served as a railroad hotel. They act as pathways of memory, acknowledging how travel, labor, and infrastructure helped shape this neighborhood’s history and growth.
The color palette draws inspiration from the visual identity of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, grounding the mural in a broader cultural continuum. The clustering and natural movement of shapes are influenced by traditional African patterns, where repetition and rhythm carry meaning beyond decoration. Together, these visual languages speak to heritage, resilience, and collective presence.
This work celebrates Royal Street as a place of deep cultural history and living significance — a corridor that reflects Jackson’s commitment to Black entrepreneurs, businesses, and community wellbeing. The mural is both tribute and invitation: a reminder that the streets we walk every day hold stories of perseverance, creativity, and belonging, while also reflecting the evolving soul of this area as it grows into an even more vibrant and nurturing community where opportunity can thrive for generations to come. Viewers are encouraged to pause, move with the space, and recognize the layered histories and unfolding future carried within this beautiful partof Jackson.
temporary alleyway murals
Spring 2026
patricia santos & cari griffith
Freedom in Blooms, Patricia Santos (left)
This piece titled “Freedom in Blooms” painted by Patricia Santos, was inspired by the history of floriography during the Victorian era and how it empowered women to express their thoughts and opinions using florals.
Each flower represented a word and specific pairings would convey a meaning. If you were to pick florals native to West TN, the Swamp Leather flower (Clematis crispa, left) and the Copper Iris (Iris fulva, right) would mean that you admire the recipients creativity. The style of this piece hints at the art nouveau style that was commonly featured on the covers of floriography books during this time period.
Westwood Gardens Cyanotype Quilt, Cari Griffith (right)
Birch panels, cyanotype solution, acrylic paint
Honoring the ancient tradition of women who've spent countless hours stitching quilts as comfort objects for their loved ones, this piece weaves together native plants from a place in my neighborhood that brings much comfort - Westwood Gardens. This mural was created using provided birch panels on which a cyanotype solution was painted, air dried, arranged with plants and exposed to UV light for 15 minutes. The plants leave their shadow onto the wood once the chemicals are rinsed off, revealing their true form. The plants represented are all native species, responsibly gathered from the fields of Westwood Gardens and returned back to their place to nourish the ecosystem. Cyanotype as an art form has encouraged me to embrace imperfection and lean into the beauty of the process of creating. If you look too closely, you'll only see mistakes. If you take a step back and look at the whole picture, I hope you'll be inspired to view the nature and art around you with wonder and a sense of communal responsibility.
looking in on the arts
Spring 2026
samantha wood
This mural serves as a vibrant window into the creative energy found inside The Ned, mirroring the building’s unique architecture through its grid like composition. Each pane offers abstract glimpses of the theater and gallery, featuring elements like spotlights, velvet ropes, and gingko leaves inspired by the trees that appear along Main Street. The bold colors and rhythmic lines are a celebration of The Ned and its presence in downtown Jackson. It was designed by Samantha Wood, a professional artist recognized for her use of vibrant color palettes and bold, clean lines within her murals. Her work often combines architectural elements with abstract forms alongside botanical motifs to create landmarks that feel both modern and site specific. Through this installation, she invites you to experience the inspiration and joy that the arts bring to our city.
a parade of possibilities
Spring 2026
hilary griffith & katie howerton
In creating this sidewalk mural, we wanted to visually celebrate the incredible heritage of The Carnegie’s 100+ years in our community—first as a library, later as a children’s museum, and now as an art gallery, music museum, performance venue, and so much more. The Carnegie has always served as a home for the arts in West Tennessee, and we have represented that through motifs of theatre, visual art, music, and culinary arts.
Leading the parade is a young Carl Perkins, once photographed on the Carnegie’s front steps as the first guitarist in his children’s marching band; his elder self brings up the rear, showing the passage time from humble beginnings to “Blue Suede Shoes” fame. Pictured reading a book is the beloved Alice Drake, who served as librarian of the Carnegie for nearly five decades. Her spirit lives on as this space continues to serve as a parade of possibilities for all people in Jackson.
radia aurelia
fall 2025
looking up arts
Radia Aurelia is a functional art installation created by Looking Up Arts, a San Francisco-based arts and technology organization dedicated to creating community-centric art that brings people together. Their art focuses on ambitious, site-specific, and interactive concepts. Radia Aurelia was commissioned by the City of Jackson’s Public Art Commission in partnership with Our Jackson Home to add purpose and activity to an empty sidewalk area of Anderson Park in downtown Jackson. The work adds a huge pop of color to the space, creating dramatic daytime shadows, shifting light shadows at night, and providing additional seating. Small table-and-chair clusters encourage intimate social gatherings, while the large central sculpture ties the entire area together, making the site feel like a cohesive, large-scale sculpture. Many nods to the surrounding area are included in the sculptures, including local agriculture, landscapes, and even Carl Perkins’ guitar.
temporary alleyway murals
Spring 2025
crystal brown & callie wright
The temporary murals in the Liberty St. alleyway were painted by local artists Crystal Brown and Callie Wright live during the 2025 Vintage Makers Music and Art Festival, and will be on display in Downtown Jackson for one calendar year.
Crystal Brown - The shapes in this painting are inspired by her friend’s 'ruined' patio table. The patterns are inspired by her ancestors' art form called Uli.
Callie Wright - Both images depicted were originally taken by photographer Hannah Gore and highlight Jackson's vibrant community and the legacy of our local artists and culture-makers
jackson legends
Spring 2025
trinity rivard
Jackson Legends was created by artist Trinity Rivard in April 2025. Rivard's concept to incorporate significant musicians in Jackson’s history led to his selection for this project by a panel of community members from a competitive pool of applicants. Although we acknowledge there are many more significant musicians in Jackson’s history than those depicted in “Jackson Legends”, the musicians included in this art installation were submitted by community nomination via public survey during the mural design phase. The mural features eight iconic musicians with roots in Jackson: Big Maybelle, Joe Hunter, Denise LaSalle, Gil Scott-Heron, Carl Perkins, Ruby Falls, Sonny Boy Williamson I, and W.S. Holland.
that saturday feeling
Spring 2025
katie howerton & hilary Griffith
Katie and Hilary were the winners of the first ever Design Dash. Their design was to recreate the feeling of Saturdays at the Farmers’ Market. It features fruits, vegetables, and donuts across large lettering and a cast of colorful characters who walk, run, shop, and lean across the brick wall and against the windows. These characters recreat the energy of a morning at the market.
seasons: making, growing, dreaming
fall 2024
Courtney Searcy
Our Jackson Home’s first project in collaboration with the City of Jackson was a sidewalk installation at theLOCAL in November 2024. This project, created by artist Courtney Searcy, reflects the characteristics of Jackson through the changing seasons and the collective spirit of its community.
Rockabilly walk
Spring 2024
Callie Wright
“Rockabilly Walk” is a temporary crosswalk art installation at the intersections of Main and Church in Downtown, Jackson. Inspired by Jackson’s Rockabilly history, artist Callie Wright installed the crosswalk with the help of dozens of community volunteers. The artwork was an initiative of Jackson Downtown Development Corporation to increase foot traffic and slow car traffic in the area.