Students in the Pennyroyal Arts Council’s 2026 Summer Mural Art Camp unveiled a mural and two other painted pieces on Friday.
The mural is on the side of soul food restaurant WB Express and faces West 5th Street. The brightly colored mural is 9.5 feet by 6 feet and depicts two people playing a saxophone and a violin. The instrumentalists are surrounded by illustrations of some of the menu items available at WB Express and agricultural crops that Christian County is known for such as wheat.
Arts Council Education Coordinator Kelly Selfe says the camp kicked off on Monday and 10 students painted the mural, which was designed by local artist MacKenzie Russell.
Russell says the mural was loosely inspired by Pablo Picasso’s piece “Three Musicians.” She says she wanted to feature music and local food to share what downtown Hopkinsville has to offer that feeds the soul.
Along with the mural, the students also painted two boards. One is a portrait of bell hooks that includes her quote, “I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance.” Then, the other board is a summery collage with plants, music notes, a buffalo and a colorful sun. Both pieces will be on display in the shadow boxes in front of the Alhambra Theatre.
The Arts Council has painted multiple murals in downtown Hopkinsville, and Arts Council Marketing Manager Crystal Ferreira says the murals are meant to fuel downtown revitalization by spotlighting what the city has to offer and the local talent that calls it home.
Along with adding a pop of color to Hopkinsville, Selfe says the mural camp is a fun experience for students and Ferreira says she was impressed by how much work they completed in only a week.
The Arts Council is set to have a Fall Mural Camp and those with kiddos, between fifth and twelfth grade, who are interested in attending can email info@pennyroyalarts.org.
