Jackson County Joins Everywhere You Look, UT Mural Campaign with Johnson Family Farm

COOKEVILLE— When Ralph and Mary Johnson moved from Virginia to Tennessee, they didn’t describe themselves as fans of the University of Tennessee. In the decades since, the couple became such fans that their property now boasts “Everywhere You Look, UT.”

The Johnsons have held UT Knoxville football season tickets since moving to Tennessee in 1973. “Mary bleeds orange; if they’re on TV, she’s watching baseball, basketball or football,” said Ralph.

To showcase their devotion to the University of Tennessee, they requested the UT System use their barn on the Johnson Family Farm for the 60-foot-wide mural. The farm, once a site for a carpet business, now serves as a space where Mary crafts wooden signs and Ralph collects antiques and old cars.

During a trip to Knoxville for a football game, Mary spotted the Crossville mural along I-40, sparking her curiosity to research its meaning and ultimately decided to request one for their farm and Jackson County.

“We’re proud to be Tennessee fans and proud of what they’re doing right now,” said Ralph.

Located on Highway 290, which has almost 6,000 drivers a day, the Johnson Family Farm is also near Cummins Falls State Park, a popular tourist and college student destination.

The newest mural, painted by Michael Cooper, marks county number 48 of the “Everywhere You Look, UT” campaign. This campaign aims to paint a mural in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties by 2030. Since its launch in 2018, the campaign has featured 52 total murals across the state. The University covers the cost of the first mural in each county.

To learn more about the “Everywhere You Look, UT” mural in Jackson County or to submit a location for consideration, visit the campaign website.

The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; 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 58,000 students statewide; produces about 13,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 445,000 alumni around the world.