Unicoi County, TN

Erwin

Love Barn

This mural in Unicoi County celebrates five generations of UT Knoxville graduates.

Rebecca Love (Knoxville, ’69) traces family ties to the University of Tennessee back five generations, starting with her grandfather, Glenn Ratliffe (Knoxville, 1908), the first in the family to graduate from the University. It seemed natural for her to offer her family’s barn in the 49th county of the campaign.

“I have so many ties to and lots of support for the University,” said Love. “I’ve got my Volunteer flag in the front yard, it stays up almost year-round, so it’s a big part of my life and my community knows that too.”

Love, a third generation UT Knoxville alumna, earned a degree in education. After spending time at home with her children, she spent 30 years in education as a teacher and principal supervisor.

“It was all wonderful and made possible because of my education degree from UTK,” said Love.

Situated on her late-husband’s family land, the former tobacco barn now features the 48-foot-wide mural visible from James H. Quillen Scenic Parkway, which sees over 14,000 daily travelers.

Love discovered the campaign through her sister Suzanne Williams (Knoxville, ’79), both of whom were members of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority during their time at UTK.

“My sister had heard about the campaign and told me, ‘You have the perfect barn to have a mural,’ because my barn is very visible,” said Love. “Also, my granddaughter graduated in May 2023, and I thought this would be a neat thing to do in honor of her graduation.”

The Love family traces its UT graduates back more than 100 years:

Glenn Ratliffe (Knoxville, 1908)
Dorothy Harvey (Knoxville, ’34)
Jack Williams (UTHSC, ’65)
Rebecca Love (Knoxville, ’69)
Suzanne Williams (Knoxville, ’79)
Robert Love, III (Knoxville, ’93, ’02)
Anthony Love (Knoxville, ’99)
Jacquelynn Boswell (Knoxville, ’17)
Tara Rebecca Love (Knoxville, ’23)

The newest mural, painted by muralist Michael Cooper, marks county number 49 of the “Everywhere You Look, UT” campaign.

Photo Gallery

Click Images Below to Enlarge and Download

SEe it for yourself:

2060 Temple Hill Road,
Erwin, TN 37650

Meet the Artist

Michael Cooper is well into his third decade of painting large-scale custom wall murals. He also provides decorative finishes, Venetian plasters, Trompe L’oeil and hand-painted large-scale graphics and signage.

Michael started Murals & More LLC in 1990 with his wife and business partner, Mickie, and since then he has designed and painted everything from small interior residential projects to enormous hotel interiors, massive exterior highway painting projects and fabulous Public Art installations.

Also an accomplished decorative painter, he has transformed many surfaces into amazing faux brick, intricate marble and classic Italian Plaster.

He is internationally renowned for his attention to detail and ability to create realistic and whimsical trompe l’oeil murals. People have simply been amazed at discovering what they thought was a series of wrought iron balconies or a clumsily placed ladder was actually a flat painted surface.

Even though his specialty is custom, large-scale wall murals and decorative finishes, Michael also has provided his clients with painted furniture, ceiling murals, floor cloths, backdrops, canvas murals and many other specialty items.

Michael Cooper Owner and Lead Artist Murals & More 615-591-2575 michael@muralsandmore.com fmuralsandmore.com