LaFollette

The Sharp-Hunter Farm, a family legacy dating back to 1841, became the canvas for the 70th Everywhere You Look, UT mural, completed in July 2025 in Campbell County.

When approached about adding the UT emblem to a barn on their property, the farm’s co-owners — Billie Sue Barton Hunter (Knoxville ’58, ’85), Mary Hunter Hinson (Knoxville ’84) and Karen Hunter-Lowery (Knoxville ’83) —knew right away it was something they were excited to do, said Karen Hunter-Lowery.

“My great-great-grandfather, who originally owned the farm, is given credit for a lot of the early industry in LaFollette,” Hunter-Lowery said. “We’ve been there for going on 200 years. We’re proud to be UT grads. I think it just kind of makes sense.”

The mural spans 17 feet tall and 70 feet wide and is located off Highway 63 in LaFollette. Visible to an estimated 14,400 drivers daily, it’s a bold symbol of UT’s reach and impact. 

While the barn is now used for hay storage, it once supported a bustling cattle operation. When the sisters sought to lease the land to a local rancher, they turned to their local UT Extension office for guidance.

“I remember when we were first looking to have somebody put cattle on the farm,” Hunter-Lowery said. “We talked to Extension Agent Steve Edwards, and he said, ‘I’d really recommend that you get a lease, and here’s a template, and here’s what you charge.’ I wouldn’t know any of that, even though my family has been farm owners for generations.”

UT Extension also has supported the family with conservation projects that help preserve their land for future generations.

“We needed some work on the farm from a soil conservation standpoint,” she said. “We knew to go to Steve. He gave us information on how to get the soil tested, and we currently have a project happening on the front side of the farm where we got grants through Extension.”

Hunter-Lowery hopes this mural will prompt passersby to think more deeply about UT’s statewide role.

“Most people know that there is a University of Tennessee in Knoxville,” she said. “But what this will say is that UT is not just one campus. It’s in touch with every county across the state — and beyond.”

For her and her sisters, the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign reflects the university’s commitment to communities across Tennessee.

“The impact that UT has on communities across the state — it’s not just kids going to one of the five campuses,” she said. “They’re continually looking for ways to give back to counties, cities and towns across the state. The ‘T’ in UT stands for Tennessee, and they’re very invested in Tennessee.”