Hickman County Mural Celebrates UT Extension Legacy at Centerville River Park

CENTERVILLE — A pavilion in Centerville River Park–a local community hub featuring a large farmers market, basketball courts, a boat dock on the Duck River and walking trails named after the late Mayor Jerry Dixon–is now home to the newest mural in the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign. Hickman County becomes the 56th county to join the campaign.

The decision to partner with the University of Tennessee System for the mural was jointly supported by UT Extension Hickman County Director Donna Bradley (UT Martin ’85, Knoxville ’05) and Centerville Mayor Gary Jacobs, along with the Centerville Board of Aldermen.

“I wanted us to be on that map of having one of these and being in my role with UT Extension, I felt that it was part of my job to see if we could get that here,” Bradley said. She also expressed her appreciation for Jacobs’ support in choosing the park on State Route 100, where an estimated 9,290 cars pass by daily.

The pavilion was built in 2006 after Centerville received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) to create a site for a farmers market. UT Extension later oversaw the growth of the farmers market by supporting local farmers and providing healthy produce to the community.

Troy Dugger (UT Knoxville ’84) spent over 30 years working with UT Extension in Hickman County, where he played a key role in growing the farmers market. He managed advertising efforts, recruited vendors and collaborated with the Tennessee Department of Health and the TDA to secure further marketing funding.

“Being in a small town, small county, I think a lot of people look to the Extension office to take the lead,” Dugger said. “(The mural’s) great for us. I think it’s great for the University. I think it’s great for the local Extension office.” He hopes the mural helps broaden the public’s perception of UT, showcasing its presence and impact across the entire state, beyond Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin or Memphis.

While UT Extension impacts the local community and farmers, Jacobs sees the mural as a way to inspire current and future UT students. As the parent of a UT Knoxville student, he feels like UT is part of his family and hopes the mural encourages young people in the town to recognize the University’s statewide impact.

Jacobs hopes the mural will motivate young people to consider UT for their education and thinks the town’s partnership with the University may make UT a top choice for those considering pursuing secondary education. Additionally, he sees the mural as a way to honor and connect with UT alumni, linking past and present generations of UT students from Centerville.

“We have a lot of graduates of UT in our town, in our county. I think this is a way for them to basically come home in a way because this reminds them of their University years,” Jacobs said. “And when people go by and they see it, they may think, well UT is part of this park now.”

The newest mural in Centerville, painted by FreeSky Studios, marks the 60th mural in the Everywhere You Look, UT campaign. The University covers the cost of the first mural in each county.

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

About the University of Tennessee

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 62,000 students statewide; produces about 14,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 454,000 alumni around the world.