Nashville artist begins work on mural for West Columbia development

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A Nashville artist has started work on a new mural that will add an artistic touch 4 West apartment and commercial building, part of the Brookland mixed-use community in West Columbia.

Artist Brian Tull has started work on the project, which will be added to the north-facing face of building 3 along the State Street entrance that is shared by both Brookland and 4West, according to a news release.

“We are excited to partner with the extremely talented Brian Tull on his largest mural yet,” said Matt Mundy of Estates & Companies, the developer that handles 4West and Brookland. “Brian is a Nashville based artist, unparalleled in graphic-oriented realism with images rich in unmixed color and bound by hard edges. He is the best artist to tell the story of Brookland, West Columbia in its history and vision for the future.”

Tull recently visited the West Columbia area and studied the people, the history, and the stories there, and is using those experiences to translate this narrative through his painting.

The mural will be completed in phases throughout the spring and summer.

“It’s a privilege when someone reaches out to me with interest in my artwork,” Tull said in the release. “Estates & Companies saw a painting of mine in Asheville, N.C. years ago and kept my information all that time, recently reaching out to me for this Brookland mural.”

Tull said that after studying the area, he wanted to create a mural that depicted the “roots, history and what built Brookland,” including the area’s mills and mill workers, mill houses, churches and community faith, and the nearby river. He worked with illustrator Steve Thomas to design a “nostalgic, lithographic feel” for the mural.

“The finished mural will feature a female figure standing tall and proud, her gaze and wonder hopefully inspiring another generation in forward thinking and moving West Columbia,” Tull said.

Two elements are also under construction at 4West — the outdoor plaza and west steps areas, designed to provide wide views of the nearby river and a gathering spot for residents and visitors.