Emily Gallman

Dr. Senasi

ENG 390.001

23 April 2024

Rome’s Murals Along a Walking Trail

Review:

In little Rome, Georgia, there is a pretty popular walking/biking trail along one of the

many rivers in Rome that is called the AdventHealth ECO Greenway Trail. This trail has been a

staple in my life of growing up in this little town as my mom and I used to walk it all the time

growing up. Recently, on a trip back home, my mother and I walked the trail again and this time,

I found many murals along the path. They all advocated for protecting wildlife and preventing

littering. Despite this area being a popular walking or biking trail, I had never heard of these

murals being here. Even after doing research on these murals, there really isn’t much information

out there about these guys! The closest I could find to an artist was the Rome Mural Colab, but

they haven’t publicly claimed the work as their own, nor does it seem to fit with their art style.

Rome has several murals around the town for various reasons, but these murals specifically are

the most powerful in my opinion.

For starters, these murals advocate for recycling and keeping our rivers clean. For those

that have never been, or even heard of Rome, the town is important mainly because it is the start

of the Coosa River. Two rivers, the Etowah and the Oostanaula, join together near the downtown

area and form the Coosa River which then stretches for about 280 miles. Rome’s main claim to
fame is these rivers, yet Romans – like many in America – have done a poor job of keeping our

rivers clean. There are a variety of animals within these rivers that help keep the ecosystem

going, keeping the river itself clean. Advocating that humans do everything to continue keeping

these rivers as clean as possible is very important for keeping our ecosystem alive.

This specific walking trail actually stretches for over 16 miles, connecting downtown

Rome to the Sarah Hightower Library along with Ridge Ferry Park. While there are many

starting and stopping points along this trail, the main mural is found along the Oostanaula,

between Ridge Ferry Park and the library. The mural itself is found underneath a bridge – which

seems like a strange place for a mural, but it makes sense because it is the closest the walker gets

to the river itself. Rome also, unfortunately, has a large population of homeless people and every

time I have walked the trail, I tend to find clothes or other abandoned objects under the bridges

that point to a camp for a homeless person. Because of the close proximity of the river bank to

the trail and the amount of homeless people who do unfortunately find homes under bridges, it

makes sense to put a reminder at this spot. The other murals are actually found further down the

trail at a different trailhead called Kingfisher. While this trail is still part of the overarching ECO

Greenway, it actually follows closer to the Etowah River. These murals are painted on the sewer

drains and highlight the local river’s endangered species.

While there is not much information about these specific murals, they are public spaces

that I believe are also fading. The last time I walked along the trail, I saw less people than I have

in the past yet, so much trash. I was actually doing a summer project where I picked up and

recorded litter on an app and my mom and I decided to go to the river to prevent the trash from

entering the water. These specific murals also do not have an artist or really any reviews present

that I could find. The only mention of these was on the Georgia Rome Office of Tourism website
and even then, the information is little to none. Because of this, I’m not sure (1) how many

people know these murals exist and (2) how people have responded to these murals. I can tell

you that my mom and I were very appreciative of these murals and were excited, especially after

being disheartened by the amount of trash we were finding – specifically a ton of cigarette butts

– to see that others were trying to make a change as well.

In conclusion, these murals definitely need more attention from the public sphere. I hate

that I can’t even find the artist who painted these fantastic murals that advocate something so

important to myself. So, if you ever find yourself in little old Rome, Georgia, maybe make an

effort to walk a little along the trail and find the “Keep Our Rivers Clean” mural.
Gallery:

Pictured below is a screenshot I grabbed from the Rome Georgia Office of Tourism’s website. It

is half of the main mural next to the Oostanaula River.

Pictured below is a map of the entire AdventHealth ECO Greenway. It is a screenshot from the

Rome Georgia Office of Tourism’s website.

Pictured below is a shot of the Kingfisher Trailhead. While not the same bridge as where the

main mural is, it is still a similar bridge. The picture is from the Rome Georgia Office of

Tourism’s website.

Pictured below are two of the sewer drain murals along the Kingfisher Trailhead. Pictures are

from the Rome Georgia Office of Tourism.

Pictured below are the two pictures I took of the main mural back in the summer of 2023. It is

seriously so big you can’t get it in one picture.

Reflection:
The pictures above are representative of a lesser known public piece of art, yet it still
holds an important message. It represents keeping our waterways clean in order to protect the
wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole. I’ll be honest, when I first came across this mural, I was
shocked. I was doing a project where I was to collect and record through an app any litter I find
on walks. I was walking and collecting litter as I found this mural. It brought about some hope
during the time I was feeling disheartened at the amount of trash I found.
I feel like we should study more public art in all majors. It helps communicate some ideas
that need to be communicated in more ways than just verbally. In also using public art,
sometimes the reminder is there for people we can’t always reach strictly through just word of
mouth. For example, my hometown – where this mural was found – has a large homeless
population. I can’t expect every homeless person to remember and know not to throw their trash
on the ground, especially when they have larger issues at hand. However, by having this mural, it
gives people a reminder of what they are doing and what harm they could bring to others along
with themselves.
By talking about public art pieces, we are using the skills we have learned in these
humanity classes and applying them to real world situations. Plus, many students may feel
strongly to change the world like Mercer encourages, yet they don’t know exactly how to do so.
Public art – whether it be a mural, a poem on a park bench, or a public theatre show – can help
change the world in a multitude of ways that I believe we still don’t know the effects of just yet.
Even graffiti nowadays can sometimes be considered public art, especially if it has a political
message behind it. Yes, it is true that not every piece of public art has an inherent political
message, but if there is no true message behind the art, why bother in my opinion? Maybe that is
a little harsh, but I feel like unless there exists a deeper reason for the piece of art in a public
setting, it is just a piece of art.
In conclusion, the study of public art would be beneficial to many students. It allows
students to pay more attention to their surroundings and they are able to use their critical thinking
skills to find the message in public art. While writing about the importance of the humanities is
important, sometimes showing really is better than telling and the best way to do that is by using
real world examples. Through this Public Writing class, I have really learned the benefits of
working towards my English degree. I know I am better equipped at interpreting deeper
meanings and communicating with others better. However, without specific real-life examples in
academic settings, I don’t believe I would have figured out this strength on my own.