#WhatLiftsYou

Nashville is most famously known for its musical prowess; dozens of singer/songwriters flock to the city daily to turn abstract dreams into tangible record deals.  Coined "Music City," it's no surprise that Nashville is teeming with melodies that expand beyond the perceptible country twang.  Although music is the cornerstone of the Tennessee capitol, murals are a popular art attraction that have tourists lining up on streets akin to a popular concert.

The iconic wings in the Nashville Gulch, featuring guitars

Murals are spread throughout the city and offer a visual commentary on the history, culture, and style of Music City.  In the Gulch, Kelsey Montague has created an interactive mural that has helped make the #WhatLiftsYou hashtag go viral.  After Taylor Swift posted a picture posing with Montague's wings in Nolita, NY, Kelsey's work has been recognized globally and Nashville's wall got similar recognition, causing lines of tourists and locals alike to loop around the Gulch district in search for a picture with the renown wings.  The locally acclaimed "bonuts" found at Biscuit Love around the corner now have some stiff competition in terms of raking in locals and tourists.

Miniature wings in the Gulch

According to Montague's website, she paints as an escape and wishes for her designs to become interactive art for the community to take part in.  Nashville's "What Lifts You" mural is a perfect example of integrating the pulse of the locale to her artistic composition:  it features wings emblazoned with guitars and music notes.  The wings also represent a spirituality that links harmoniously with the creativity that seeps through the citizens of Nashville.  Taking a picture with the mural not only offers an opportunity for partakers to create a photographic memory of an experience, but also prompts them to reflect on what lifts their spirits.  By stepping into Montague's interactive canvas, the art allows subjects to integrate themselves into the mural and become the highlight of the piece.  Essentially, it is incomplete without someone stepping in to give it total life.

The historic Gulch district has experienced recent revitalization that has intersected its industrial past with a modern future.  It has attracted young city dwellers causing an explosion of restaurants (like the aforementioned Biscuit Love, among others), residential buildings, and concert venues to answer to the demand of hip hot spots.  Railroad terminals have been overhauled into rustic venues perfect for grabbing a drink, enjoying a concert, or sinking your teeth into a delicious meal.  Kelsey's mural is the quintessential spot for people to stop and think about what matters to them in the middle of a hustling neighborhood.