City officials in Florence commission a vibrant Christian mural for the Stringtown Restaurant, as overseen by artists from Dallas.
Florence City to Feature Vibrant Mural Honouring Main Street's History
A new 100-foot mural is set to grace the side of Stringtown Bar and Grill in Florence, Kentucky, as part of a larger initiative to bring more public art and celebrate the city's history and culture.
Councilmember Pat Wingo announced that the project's owner, Rick Potter, has been eager to start the venture and has already taken down a fire escape in preparation. The mural, planned by the contemporary muralist and painter, Christian Dallas, will pay homage to Main Street in Florence.
The rendering of the mural, which has been in the planning for about a year, features a stagecoach, a skunk (represented as a white cat), the state bird (cardinal), a man (likely John Uri Lloyd, a prominent Florence resident), mushrooms, and plants. The lines of the mural are meant to represent direction and flow, generalized movement.
Christian Dallas, a local artist who received a Bachelors of Fine Art from Northern Kentucky University, is known for his large-scale mural paintings. His work can be found in various locations across the tri-state area, including Cincinnati, Hamilton, Mason, Hebron, CVG, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and Newport.
Council members are pleased with the new project, with Mayor Julie Aubuchon believing this mural is a significant step in bringing more public art to the city. To ensure the mural's maintenance, the council is waiting to sign an official lease with the restaurant.
Rick Potter, the owner of Stringtown, has cooperated well in the project and has already redone the soffits and gutters to prevent water damage to the mural. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $50,000, and the funding is in the budget.
In addition to the Main Street mural, another is planned for the area, with no renderings available as of yet. Christian Dallas will also be the artist for this second mural. The mural project is expected to begin soon, depending on the weather, and is expected to be completed before July 1, 2026.
Dallas also creates regular paintings and has showings. His work has been well-received, and this new project is sure to be a vibrant addition to the Florence cityscape.
