Spend a moment studying our new mural painted along the west side of our building, and you will see our values in its colors. There’s the hospitality in welcoming folks and being both guest and host. You’ll see stewardship in believing there is enough for all. We see learning when we gather and share food as well as the interconnectedness of our wellbeing. Finally we celebrate the justice in a table where all belong as well as transformation — the fierce hope that people and situations can change.
The mural, completed earlier this year, enriches our space as we reflect on our 10-year anniversary and the many ways we have leaned on and believed in collaboration. With that spirit in mind, here’s how the mural came into existence.
In 2018 as we started to dream, plan and work toward building our headquarters, the artwork of Jen Bloomer of Radici Studios became an inspiration, particularly with this piece:
“There are different versions (of these words) out there, and I found it to be such a guiding light — a table of food and people of all different backgrounds,” Jen said. “ I was inspired about the ways we come to the table. How different foods are a part of our identities. It’s a message I really wanted to get out in the world and spread.”
Jen sells prints of the longer table image and offers free downloads of the artwork on her website, so that others can use it as a guiding principle too. “What do I have to offer,” she asks, “and how can we make everyone feel welcome?”
With this notion of hospitality and Jen’s artwork in mind, we named our efforts to raise funds for our new building A Longer Table campaign.
Meanwhile, as the vision for our headquarters morphed into architecture plans and hardhat tours turned into moving day, members of the Board of Directors contacted Jen to ask her to create a new design for a mural as a surprise gift to our founder Tallu Schuyler Quinn. Former Board Member Sara Finley presented Tallu with Jen’s design at the new building dedication in early 2019.
Jen made plans to fly to Nashville in April 2020 from her home base of San Francisco to paint the mural.
And then, the pandemic hit. Plans needed to evolve.
TNFP formed a working group of staff members to make tweaks to the design (such as adding peace cranes to the image, a nod to Tallu who folded many of the origami cranes hanging in our community dining room). The staff group also helped pull in local artist, Woke3, to collaborate with Jen and paint her design.
Photo by Keep3.
Photo by Keep3.
Woke has been painting murals around town for many years including his current project—and largest yet—on Jefferson Street honoring the legacy of folks in North Nashville.
For the Food Project mural, Woke incorporated his own style while also “sticking close” to Jen’s vision. The result reflects our values in a beautiful evolution and collaboration across food, communities and art.
“We’re all a part of this same table,” Woke said, “and sharing energy and resources.”