For local artist Erin Anfinson, the Civil War has become palpable via paint.
That is, thanks to the history-themed mural that she’s been commissioned to create at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, Anfinson is experiencing the war in ways that bring it to life.
“This experience makes the Civil War much more tangible than I’ve experienced before,” said Anfinson, an assistant professor of art at MTSU, who is currently creating the work that will be a on display at the center’s main exhibit gallery as part of a permanent Civil War exhibit for the City of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.
Funded by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, the commissioned work will be the background for the entire war exhibit, said Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
“The Civil War and Reconstruction era is a big part of Murfreesboro, and that is why this mural and exhibit are so important to the city,” Zimmerman said. “The exhibit will tell more about the social history of the event, and we hope that it will better prepare people to go out and see the Sam Davis Home (in Smyrna), Oaklands Bradley Academy and the Stones River National Battlefield (in Murfreesboro).”
Although the artist said she has not titled the in-progress mural itself, the exhibit is set to be titled “The Time That Changed Everything: Murfreesboro’s Civil War Era.”
“We feel fortunate to have found not only a well-respected, nationally exhibited artist for this mural, but also someone who is part of the outstanding MTSU faculty,” said Zimmerman, who added that the idea for the mural’s design was derived from old photographs now housed in MTSU’s Albert Gore Sr. Research Center.
Anfinson said her main inspiration for the mural is a single photograph that depicts Union troops occupying the downtown square in Murfreesboro during the Civil War.
“She took different pieces of each photograph and wove them together perfectly, [and] she found and incorporated details that most people would never notice,” said Zimmerman.
Although it’s not the largest mural she’s undertaken, Anfinson said that once completed, the mural will be 8-by-18-feet.
With a completion date of Aug. 17 as her goal, Anfinson said she first drafted the mural’s design on her computer, then set about the task of transferring the idea to canvas.
The mural is just one intriguing component of the Civil War Era exhibit, slated to be completed by late fall, Zimmerman projected.
Planned by MTSU graduate students Ashley Tate and Julie Lenger, co-curators, the exhibit will encompass 15 panels that present information through text and graphics, as well as three interactive exhibits.
Once completed, “We hope the exhibit will inspire visitors to explore the county’s many historic sites and neighborhoods to uncover more of the story,” Zimmerman said.
Located at 225 W. College St., the center is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily each Monday through Friday. Admission is always free.
For more information on the center, including current exhibits, visitors’ information on area sites and cultural events, programming or tours, call (615) 217-8013.
