Walls for Women – Murals Progress
Santa Rosa, CA August 10, 2020 —This summer, the well-known national wine brand, Cycles Gladiator has partnered with Walls for Women, a public art and awareness campaign to mark the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Conceived by Tullahoma, Tenn.-based nonprofit DMA-events, eight new murals are being painted around the state by talented women, traditionally underrepresented in the public art movement. To date, two murals have been completed: “Wisteria Maiden” by Ju-uri of Oklahoma City in Tullahoma, Tenn. and Jenny Ustick of Cincinnati, Ohio whose mural “Hebe, the Moon, the Rivers and the Land” comprises four motifs within one, was installed in McMinnville, Tenn. last week.
The muralists selected by DMA-events, which is dedicated to curating artistic expression in public places, will also include Paris Woodhull whose work will grace the Printshop Beer Co. in Knoxville, Tenn. and Nicole Salgar, who is painting at Bike ‘N Tri in Maryville, Tenn. this and next week. Meanwhile, a duo of painters Cymone Wilder and Sarah Painter are collaborating on a mural nearly 200 feet in length at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery in Nashville, and artist Kim Radford will soon begin an installation in Nolensville, Tenn. Additional artists will include Whitney Herrington and Tara Aversa for a total of five Tennesseans and the balance from out of state. The schedule for the installations is listed below. Follow Cycles Gladiator Wine and DMA-Events and on Facebook for regular updates:
- McMinnville: July 18-27
- Tullahoma: July 19-24
- Knoxville: Aug. 1-10
- Maryville: Aug. 4-18
- Nashville: Aug. 6-18
- Centerville: Aug. 28-31
- Nolensville: TBD
Dates are subject to modification pending weather and extenuating circumstances
The murals are painted on walls in high-visibility locations with the subject matter selected by the individual artists’ professional talents with no creative restrictions.
“At DMA-events, we believe in giving the artists full artistic freedom. The murals themselves will not necessarily be about the suffrage movement directly,” says Walls for Women Organizer Kristin Luna. “They will be whimsical, thoughtful and drive forward the state’s century-old commitment to female equality and empowering rights.”
“This was an epochal event in American history,” said Cycles Gladiator Founding Winemaker Adam LaZarre. “And it was the state of Tennessee with its ratification of the amendment that gave the deciding vote granting American women the right to vote. One hundred years later we want to say ‘thank you’ to all Tennesseans for their forebears’ commitment to moving women forward by commissioning exciting new art.” Director of Marketing for Cycles Gladiator’s parent company, Wine Hooligans, Anna Frizzell stated, “In this election season with the news dominated by many important issues, we are proud to have signed on as a sponsor earlier this year. Our longstanding commitment is to empower women at all levels.”
Luna added, “We’re grateful to Cycles Gladiator for recognizing this historic moment for women and wanting to empower female artists through the support of this festival. It’s so important that all industries, not just public art, commit to the hiring of women going forward.”
Belle Époque-inspired, Cycles Gladiator’s wine packaging
About Walls for Women:
Kristin Luna and Scott Van Velsor started 501(c)(3) DMA-events in May 2018 as a way to harness and inspire the imaginative spirit found in all of humanity by removing some of the barriers to entry of the creative process. Walls for Women focuses exclusively on capturing female creative energy for artistic placemaking in communities in need of joy, hope and color during Tennessee’s Centennial of the 19th Amendment. All DMA murals are updated on the website map in real time, and a Walls for Women trail map will be available at WallsForWomen.com at the conclusion of the festival.
About Cycles Gladiator:
Noted award-winning winemaker Adam LaZarre started Cycles Gladiator in 2005. His goal: to make really great wines that taste two to three times the price and to know that on any given night, someone somewhere is enjoying his wine. Based in Paso Robles, California, LaZarre guides the whole process from selecting the best vineyards from the Central and North Coasts, to working with growers, to complete control of the winemaking, producing five expressive and tasty wines – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
