“Lantern Light”

Oak Ridge-based muralist Megan Lingerfelt was moved by the stories of South Cumberland’s coal mining history—how many early plateau residents made a living—as well as those of the miners who are highlighted in the Whitwell / Marion County Coal Miners Museum. She drew inspiration from the local coke ovens and used the oil lamp housed in the Grundy County Historical Society building as her starting point for the design.

“Color plays an important role in this one, and it is all about the glow and texture of the coal,” Megan says. “I also spent some time with a man at the museum who shared what it was like working in low-profile spaces, something I tried to portray with the floor and ceiling in this design.”

The Lantern Light mural is located on the side of the Goat Pen Hostel at 24 Main St. in Tracy City and was sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission and Tennessee’s South Cumberland Tourism Partnership.