BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
SUNBRIGHT—The University of Tennessee System is on a mission to paint the state orange with its “Everywhere You Look, UT” campaign. Morgan County just became home to UT’s 26th mural, the third water tower of the campaign.
The UT System has a goal to paint a mural in 95 counties across Tennessee to remind travelers of UT’s statewide presence. Since the campaign’s launch in 2018, 26 murals have been completed in Anderson, Crockett, Cumberland, Dyer, Fentress, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Hardeman, Houston, Knox, Lawrence, Lincoln, Meigs, Roane, Shelby, Scott, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Washington, Wayne and Weakley counties.
“From wooden barns on country roads to historic buildings in bustling downtowns to water towers high above communities across the great state of Tennessee—the ‘Everywhere You Look, UT’ mural campaign includes canvases of all types, shapes and sizes,” UT System President Randy Boyd said. “From west to east, UT is truly everywhere you look.”
The 25-foot mural on the 125-foot-tall water tower owned by the Morgan County Economic Development Board will serve as a tribute to the more than 330 UT students, alumni and employees representing Morgan County and a reminder to the approximately 475 pre-K through 12th grade Sunbright School students and their parents of UT’s presence in their community.
“The Morgan County Economic Development Board is ecstatic and welcomes the opportunity to be a part of the mural program UT offers. This water tank has been an eyesore for so long and the folks that travel that area, I know will be thrilled to see the ‘Everywhere You Look, UT’ mural painted on the tank,” said Lisa Collett, executive director of the Morgan County Economic Development Board. “We are also so happy that UT now offers the University-Assisted Community Schools (UACS) program to the students at Sunbright School. We are all Tennessee fans around here!”
The UACS program, operated by the UT Knoxville College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, uses UT students, faculty and staff to provide academic support services, physical education, music and art programs after school. Sunbright is the third school in the state and first rural school selected for the program.
“Sunbright School is blessed to be in partnership with the University of Tennessee. Tammy Howard, our UACS coordinator, has made a tremendous impact. Our students have already been given opportunities we never imagined they would have access to,” Sunbright Principal Julia Smith said. “Having the old water tower painted is something many of us in the community have wanted for decades. It will proudly display the UT logo and remind everyone our UT family is bigger than we could have imagined!”
To learn more about the campaign, each location and to nominate a canvas for use, visit https://everywhere.tennessee.edu/murals/. A mural dedication event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11. Media will receive an additional advisory and invitation to attend soon.
The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls about 54,000 students statewide; produces about 13,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 422,000 alumni around the world.
