The Greene County Partnership is pleased to announce the unveiling of a mural of Los Angeles class, nuclear-powered attack submarine – the USS Greeneville. The mural was created by local artist, Joe Kilday, and is the latest addition to the mural trail in Downtown Greeneville. The USS Greeneville mural will be the thirteenth mural located in the downtown area and the eighth completed by Kilday.
The mural depicts the USS Greeneville submarine along with two badges garnering the vessel’s motto “Volunteers Defending Frontiers”. It is 9 foot tall and 40 feet wide and is located in the parking lot at the Greene County Partnership. The mural is an incredible addition to the vessel’s namesake – The Town of Greeneville.
The USS Greeneville was named after Greeneville, Tennessee when residents and local business Greeneville Metal Manufacturing, which built submarine components, pushed for a submarine to be named after a small town, rather than a large metropolitan area. The USS Greeneville was launched on September 17, 1994 and commissioned on February 16, 1996. She is currently undergoing upgrades at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and will be underway later this year.
The Greene County Partnership along with the Tennessee Arts Commission, who helped fund the project, believes that public art is essential to creating a thriving community. “We are proud to have collaborated with Joe Kilday on this extraordinary project, and we are grateful to the Tennessee Arts Commission for their generous support of the Arts in Greene County,” said Aly Collins, General Manager of the Greene County Partnership. “We hope the new mural will inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to appreciate and engage with public art,” added mural artist, Joe Kilday.
An unveiling ceremony will take place on Monday, April 3rd at 3:30pm in the parking lot of the Greene County Partnership. The event will take place in conjunction with Tri-Cities Navy Week with several U.S. Navy Sailors and Officers planning on being in attendance, including current USS Greeneville Sailors. The event is open to the public, and the Greene County Partnership encourages everyone to attend and celebrate this new vibrant addition to our community.
For more information about the USS Greeneville Mural or the Downtown Mural Trail, please contact the Greene County Partnership at 423-638-4111 or [email protected]
