A new mural honoring bluegrass music is now part of the downtown Owensboro landscape, with the first six panels of the rotating display unveiled Saturday morning across from the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
A few dozen people gathered at 214 Frederica Street for the unveiling, where the Chamber Young Professionals (CYP) revealed the bluegrass-themed designs in partnership with the Bluegrass Music Capital Initiative, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum, the City of Owensboro, and OWB Downtown LLC.
The mural builds on CYP’s “Amped Up Artistry” initiative, which launched in 2024 by transforming traffic light electrical boxes along 2nd Street into colorful urban art.
The new artwork has been digitally reproduced and printed on removable panels rather than painted directly on the wall, allowing for seasonal updates and future rotations.
In total, eight works were selected for the project. Six are now on display, with the remaining two to be rotated in at a later date. Each of the featured artists brings a unique interpretation of bluegrass heritage.
The first rotation includes:
Paula Gieseke, of Cerulean, Kentucky
- Title of artwork: Billy Strings
- Artist’s description of artwork: An acrylic painting of Billy Strings on canvas playing bluegrass guitar.
Brittany Samsil, of Owensboro
- Title of artwork: Bluegrass Legends
- Artist’s description of artwork: This Bluegrass Legends painting is originally done in acrylic paint, charcoal pencil, and modeling paste for texture. The top starts with Bill Monroe’s house then to the Bluegrass Boys. It then goes to Doc Eatson and Arnold Shultz. The Bluegrass Museum is behind Flatt and Scruggs and Ricky Skaggs. The background then fades into an old map of Kentucky with Del McCoury at the bottom. Bluegrass instruments then fill in random spaces.
Emrys Cunningham, of Richmond, Kentucky
- Title of artwork: Blue Moon Monroe
- Artist’s description of artwork: A digital portrait of the “Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe. His visage hangs over a view all too familiar to native Kentuckians, the foggy blue mountains with a full moon in the clear night sky, an homage to one of his most famous songs, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”
Rex Robinson, of Evansville, Indiana
- Title of artwork: River of Music Party
- Artist’s description of artwork: One of many festive moments featuring early ROMP performers Reeltime Travelers at English Rark in Owensboro by the Ohio River, where it all started!
Amy Burgan, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Title of artwork: Bridging Traditions
- Artist’s description of artwork: Acrylic painting of culturally diverse children representative of our population in Owensboro. Children are playing various Bluegrass instruments. Allusion to the Blue Bridge in the background. Inspired by the great experience my own children had with bluegrass lessons when they were young.
Adalynn Opal Leach, of Hartford, Kentucky
- Title of artwork: Golden Harmony: The Pillar of Bluegrass
- Artist’s description of artwork: This stained-glass-style mural of Alison Krauss glows with vibrant hues, capturing her timeless grace and deep musical legacy. She stands as a radiant pillar of bluegrass, her flowing hair illuminated by golden light. Surrounding her, intricate sunflowers bloom, symbolizing warmth and growth. The stained-glass effect casts a luminous aura, blending tradition with elegance. Deep in concentration while fiddling, displaying her mastery, while ethereal blues and greens evoke the soul of bluegrass.
The two remaining artists whose work will be rotated in later are Andrea Butler, of Seattle, Washington, and Bethany Prevette, of Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
The project was originally announced last fall with the goal of combining visual art and Owensboro’s musical heritage through a rotating mural. The location — directly across from the Hall of Fame — was chosen to tie the installation to the city’s bluegrass identity and encourage continued investment in public art downtown.
