The Repainting Project of the
Dickenson County Mural, “Echoes”
In August of 2024, Ellen Elmes began leading a community team of Dickenson County painters in a project to reproduce and repaint on fabric panels the original design of the downtown Clintwood mural on the Jettie Baker Center that was originally painted in 2001 by Ellen and her Southwest Virginia Community College students and community volunteer painters. The repainting project was initiated by Town Manager and Mayor Danny Lambert and was funded by the Town of Clintwood.
The team worked in the Jettie Baker Center, painting together once or twice a month and at home individually. Participants included professional artists as well as amateur painters, and many of them designed and painted the original mural almost 25 years ago.
These painters also worked on the design and painting of the original mural in 2001. They are left to right: Scarlett Gilley, Ellen Elmes, Kevin Minion, Rita Justice, Robin Charles and Donna Leftwich.
The painting team: Vicki Blevins, Robin Charles, Lisa Davis, Scarlett Gilley, Rita Justice, Donna Leftwich, Kevin Minion, Addison Mullins, Susan Mullins, Kimberley Dawn Rose, Jenna Taylor, and Reneé Wienecke. Ellen, Jenna Taylor, and Reneé Wienecke were awarded an Apprenticeship Grant from Virginia Folklife, a branch of the Virginia Humanities, and were mentored and taught together during their participation in this mural project.
First painting session
Apprentice Jenna Taylor
Apprentice Reneé Wienecke
The project was completed in April, 2025 and a dedication celebration of the mural and a Virginia Humanities-sponsored festival was held in June 2025.
(l-r) Katy Clune from Virginia Folklife, Apprentice Renee Wienecke, Apprentice Jenna Taylor, Mentor Ellen Elmes, Mayor of Clintwood Danny Lambert, Matthew Gibson from Virginia Humanities
Clintwood Resident Jim Childress' remarks:
"I’m going to talk a little bit about who I am. And who I am is right up there. That’s my history.
My grandfather Childress moved across this Pine Mountain when he was a kid, 6 years old, him and his family moved over here, and have farmed and done all these things. He worked for Ritter Lumber, if you’ve ever heard of them. That’s been I guess a hundred years ago.
My family was big on the military, you see the military over here on that side. I think I have eight uncles and then there’s me and my brother and cousins all who have served our country in the military.
Jim Childress talking about how the mural represents him as a lifelong, 3rd generational Clintwood resident.
I see mining up there. My dad and my uncles were miners, as well as myself. I worked mostly doing that in my life.
I see dinners on the ground. I have been to dinners on the ground, and I love them. I have been to baptisms. I have been to the cemetery where I left loved ones, left them behind. I want to mention one—and when I get nervous, I cry, so bear with me.
One of the original painters of this mural, Bill Wallace, is no longer with us, and he was a dear friend and a great artist.
Quilting. My mother made—that's not her quilt up there, I'm sure—but she has one exactly like this. She was a wonderful quilter.
You see Aunt Jetty up there. Jetty Baker was my aunt.
The woods have had a big influence on all of our people. We coon hunted, we possum hunted, we squirrel hunted, we rabbit hunted, we fished. I love to fish.
Flowers. Everything up there, all that.
I have White Star [Café] stories. I have stories of the theater and the courthouse.
All those things come down to what you see here today. All those things made me, made this community, made this town that I'm a part of, and I thank God for all of those things. My ancestors, my family, I come from two wonderful families. All these things are here. And I thank everyone of you for coming out here to be with us today, and that's all I've got to say. Thank you."
A short video "Restoring 'Echoes' at the Jettie Baker Center," Clintwood, VA - created by Pat Jarrett, videographer for Virginia Folklife, Charlottesville, VA, can be seen here.