NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A decrepit bridge is getting a breath of new life, and the community is collecting the funds to make it happen.
From traffic to wasps, Nolensville Pike is not exactly a peaceful art studio.
"Because it’s Nolensville Pike, it’s a little bit dangerous, so I have to make sure I have an officer here," muralist Tara Aversa said.
Aversa was hired by the Glencliff Neighborhood Group to beautify the CSX bridge by the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.
The original mural was defaced.
"I think the artwork that was there was beautiful before, but so many years passed, and it starts to get dirty. Then one person tags and adds other tags, so anti-graffiti paint is important in this project, which that is what we’re doing over it," Aversa said.
When lanes are closed, she gets a lot of attention.
"They’ll drive by and be like 'Oh, it looks great,' or they’ll yell at me in Spanish and I know some words and it means 'looks good,'" Aversa said.
She's hard to miss in her lift.
"When you’re doing these jobs not many people know how bad it hurts your back. The lift — you can’t lock your legs. You’ve got to move with it. You’re tense all day, I’m also afraid of heights, and I work on murals all the time," Aversa said.
"The animals that you see here are from the zoo, and I’ve tied it into the community. As you know, this area is known for different cultures, different food," Aversa said. "The clouded leopard is from the Himalayas, and the rain forest so that’s going to introduce Thai and Asian culture."
In days, she'll put the final touches on the project.
"If we can make Nashville a little bit more beautiful with public art, why not?" Aversa said.
If you'd like to help fund the project, there’s a GoFundMe.
