Just over 4 years ago Kelsey Montague created the wings in the Gulch in Nashville, Tennessee. This piece took her 3 days to do and Kelsey filled it with images that represent Nashville: A cowboy hat, guitars, and BBQ.
The piece is 16 feet wide and 23 feet tall. Kelsey wanted to make sure there was black space (dead space) around the wings so people really felt like they were flying. On site we decided (with our wonderful client Nicole) to include a pair of small dog/child wings to the right. This was one of the first murals in this part of Nashville and, to our knowledge, the first fully interactive street art piece in The Gulch.
Over the years we watched the wings popularity grow and gasped when folks started sending us videos of the line that snakes through the neighborhood most weekends, filled with people waiting to get a snap with the wings. We are in awe. We are grateful. And we are happy that what Kelsey sought to do in the area came true. Kelsey wanted these wings to give people a moment of joy. To give people a moment to feel beautiful and to give them a moment to reflect on an important question – What Lifts You?
We don’t always get asked ‘what is most important to you.’ We also rarely have the chance to reflect on what is most important to you on social media. By reflecting and then sharing what gives you the most joy on social media, Kelsey believes she’s making social media a little bit of a kinder place.
She also, always, wants to draw folks to an area to increase foot traffic and, ultimately, help local businesses. Now, when we go back to The Gulch, local businesses buy us drinks to thank us for how this piece of art has helped them grow.
That is, ultimately, what art really should be about. Giving people a moment to think, to feel, to share and helping local economies thrive.
On our (just over) 4 year anniversary of Kelsey’s most visited set of wings we want to say thank you – to everyone who has taken a picture with these wings and therefore made them what they are today.
Cheers to another 4 years!
XXX, Courtney (and Kelsey) Montague
PS If you visited the wings and want a memento we’ve just launched our Nashville sticker kit here.
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Nashville Sticker Pack$14.50