New Mural at Ralph Hughes Park Depicts Children at Play

A lovely new mural is quickly emerging as the focal point of Ralph Hughes Park in Collinwood.

The park, located near the base of the water tower in Collinwood, has long been a place for families to gather for picnics while children enjoy the fun play equipment inside the park’s perimeter. The basketball court continues to be a safe and fun choice for young people to enjoy, and the stage is the perfect place for bands to perform, whether it’s for “Music in the Park” or for the massive Old Timers’ Day event that draws huge crowds every year.

The new mural is being painted on the building inside the park that is mainly used for storage. While the building has always been fairly inconspicuous, it has now begun to draw the attention of park-goers and others. One of those is Darlene Hanback, a Collinwood resident who enjoys taking her grandchildren Dani and Andrew to play at the park while enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve had lately. Darlene recently took these great photos of the new mural and gave us permission to share them with our readers.

The artist responsible for not only this beautiful mural but others in Collinwood as well is Victor Moore from Henderson, Tennessee. We spoke with Victor when he was working on the patriotic mural on the side of the T House/MyTeam Insurance building on Broadway Street in Collinwood. When he spoke with us in 2024, Victor told us that he used to do only “inside artwork,” such as portraits and custom pieces for customers. He said that when he was offered his first mural creation, he thought, why not?

All the murals Victor creates begin with a general topic proposed by the customer. Once Victor knows the theme to go with, he begins to lay out his vision of what the finished product will look like. “I guess you could say I do it the old-fashioned way,” said Victor. “I just start out by drawing with pencil and paper what’s in my head, and then I use my paintbrush to make my vision come to life.”

The beautiful and poignant mural at Ralph Hughes Park features young children at play – the perfect artwork for the theme of the park. According to Collinwood City Manager Gary Victory, the mural is expected to be finished by Wednesday, April 11th. Everyone is encouraged to stop at Ralph Hughes Park and take in the beauty of nature and the beauty of this perfect mural.

The mural was created with funds from a 100%, no-match grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.