The M.L. King Mural

M.L. King Mural: We will not be satisfied until

ARTIST: Meg Saligman Studios 

The M.L. King Mural is a visual depiction of the past, present and future vision for Chattanooga. It is a tribute to the rich culture of the African American community that was long-anchored on M.L. King Boulevard. The mural serves as a significant icon for the city and reinforces the critical role that public art plays in telling the stories of the people and places in our community. 

This painting is 42,179 ft', the largest mural in the Southeastern U.S. and one of the top 5 largest in the nation. It is the first ever painted mural to wrap an entire city block. 
The mural required 1 year of planning and research and 6 months of painting. 
From first sketch to final stroke. the artists averaged 2,400 ft' of painting each week. That is equivalent to completing a 5-story square canvas every 7 days, 
for 5 months straight. 
The 20 individuals depicted in the mural are either historic or living people who represent aspects of M.L. King Boulevard and Chattanooga. 

Over 420 gallons of colored paint, 120 brushes, 5 paint sprayers and 120 yards of acrylic fabric were used to complete the mural. 
The artists logged over 6,100 hours painting the mural. The team worked in shifts from sun up to sun down, 7 days a week. 
565 volunteers from the community helped paint the portraits in the mural on an acrylic cloth using a paint-by-numbers method that was then applied onto the wall. 

There are four hidden number 9s throughout the mural. Can you spot them? They pay homage to the glory days of the past, when M.L King Blvd was called Ninth Street, or "the Big Nine.'