Montgomery County, TN – Artwork for the Fort Campbell Railroad Bridge near Gate 2 above Fort Campbell Boulevard was completed on September 29th, 2021. This was a project that began in January 2020 by the Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee with a call for artists to submit their ideas.
“This has taken some time, between the submission, the selection, approval process, delays in materials, and waiting for several consecutive days of good weather before the material could be applied to the bridge. I am thrilled with the outcome! These types of projects are what the Public Art Committee and Montgomery County are all about, paying gratitude to the men and women who serve at Fort Campbell,” stated Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett.
The chosen artist, Paul Jones, drew and painted the original artwork by hand and had it turned into a vector file for submission. Jones, originally from Upstate New York, came to Clarksville to visit friends in April 2014, fell in love with the community, and made the permanent move by July of that year.
“Painting is something I love to do when I’m not working at Trane or hanging out with family. My goal with this project was to tie in the most symbolic images from the community like the brickwork from the Historic Courthouse, Wilma Rudolph, and the Cumberland River. I’m honored to contribute to the community and Fort Campbell through my artwork. I solicited help with transitioning the art into computer format. It was a process, but definitely worth it. My whole family came down to see it!” exclaimed Jones.
Gerald Printing won the bid on the project and used a vinyl wrap to bring the artwork to life on the bridge.
“Our company was proud to participate in a project that provided us with an opportunity to help make our home look even better,” said Gerald Printing Sales Representative Jacob Downey.
The Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee was established in 2017 and is comprised of community citizens who are interested in bringing public art to Clarksville, Montgomery County. Funding for the designated projects comes from a percentage of specific Montgomery County Government bonds.
“The committee is thrilled to see this project come to fruition! We are thankful for the investment from the County and the vision Mayor Durrett had to expand public art in this community. Mr. Jones has also been a pleasure to work with as we made changes throughout the process,” said Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee Chair Stacey Streetman.
Since the Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee was established, funding has been designated towards completed projects such as the ornate iron sphere at Downtown Commons, the 19th Amendment Women’s Right to Vote statue at Public Square, and the Fort Campbell bridge project. Future plans involve an installation art piece at Patriot’s Park and a Colored Troops bronze statue for Fort Defiance.
