Find your story in Cookeville: New mural celebrates city's growth

[00:00:00]Well, it was about a decade ago when Nashville started becoming even more of a nationwide hub for entertainment. And once that happened, it was just a matter of time before some of the outskirts cities and towns started to feel a little boost of their own.

[00:00:14]>> Yeah, speaking of Putnam County. So, take Cookeville for example. Its population has increased by nearly 10% since the beginning of the decade.

[00:00:22]>> And you can see NewsChannel 5's Austin Pollock was just out there what, last week and uh you kept him in the building today to discuss a new piece of art that is right in the heart of the city.

[00:00:32]>> Yeah, it's pretty stunning. I want you to take a look at how beautiful and creative this is. So, the artist is Katie Tyler. She lives in the Sparta area, which is of course just a stone's throw away from Cookeville. She's originally from Upstate New York and this is my favorite part of the mural.

[00:00:47]Find your story in Cookeville. You just saw that, you'll see it a few times throughout the story. So, what does that mean? Well, for Katie, it's where she found that new home and for a lot of people, it's being near Nashville and not having to deal with, you know, Nashville traffic. It's about being halfway between the big city and the mountains. And her mural encourages people to appreciate the past and cherish the present and the future.

[00:01:12]>> About halfway between Knoxville and Nashville, Katie Tyler has chosen to call the Upper Cumberland home.

[00:01:20]>> Okay.

[00:01:21]>> [laughter] >> Now, she hopes her latest work encourages others to write a story of their own.

[00:01:27]>> This is something that I want everybody to feel like home and stand in front of and take a picture and >> It's more than just a slogan. Think of it as an invitation.

[00:01:37]>> To show that Cookeville, you know, is starting to become a bigger city, but it still feels very local here.

[00:01:44]>> For Katie, that story started hundreds of miles away in Upstate New York. But when she moved here, she kept painting and painting and kept meeting people who were curious about her story.

[00:01:57]>> A lot. I've actually met a few people that we've had full-on hour-long conversations, so >> Her mural on the side of the Cookeville History Museum also celebrates the 250th birthday of our country. It looks back and weaves together the past with the present and the future.

[00:02:15]>> wanted to really show Cookeville not just now, but the history of where they were before. That's why I have a few buildings in here, and we put the names on it so people understood what they are because one of them was completely redone, like the courthouse.

[00:02:30]>> So, whether you're just passing through on your way to the big city or the mountains or you're thinking of making this home, Katie hopes you won't just see the mural. She hopes you'll find your story in Cookeville.

[00:02:43]>> Yeah, yeah. And that's exactly what we were kind of hoping for. People would take the time to stop, take a picture in front of it, and even visit.

[00:02:52]>> You know what? People have done that.

[00:02:53]I've seen some photos on Facebook.

[00:02:55]>> People have taken those selfies, you know, I mean, they've been doing it since, but I mean, 4th of July weekend was obviously big for that, you know, you have a lot of travel on on the interstate, you know, going maybe you're going to North Carolina and back or whatnot, but um no, really, really beautifully done. Really, really talented. And you know, you see something like that, and one of the things I told her that I love about Cookeville when I go there is like I feel like I'm welcome. Like I feel like I'm I'm I'm welcome there, and I love going there. And I've mentioned before I love those long drives in the summer, so keep those up, but uh it's beautifully done.

[00:03:26]>> Cookeville is is a popular stop, you know, if you're driving to like Knoxville or something and you need a bathroom break, a stretch, or just a bite. So, if I'm getting off like at that main drag area, where is this mural in relation to that? How do I find it?

[00:03:37]>> I I am not great with directions, but uh it's on the side of the Cookeville History Museum. So, plug that right into the old GPS, and um and and you cannot miss it.

[00:03:47]>> Hey, man, influencers are going to have a field day with that one. When they're doing all those things on Cookeville, they've got to get that shot, right, with the mural.

[00:03:55]>> Oh, yeah. Place it on social.

[00:03:56]>> Beautiful and the detail that she's able to when it comes to the fountain. I mean, it really looks like water's falling out of it.

[00:04:02]>> Really talented.

[00:04:03]>> Yeah, and and just love the whole thought behind it.

[00:04:05]>> Absolutely. Absolutely. Thanks for sharing that.

[00:04:07]>> Thank you, Austin. And I know when you were going out there you were wondering about the rain.

[00:04:11]>> But, what did you experience?

[00:04:13]>> It was hot.

[00:04:14]>> [laughter] >> It was very hot and today