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Repainting Project of the Richlands Mural,

“The Past That Makes the Future Better”

In 2023, Ellen Elmes led a community team of Tazewell County painters in a project to reproduce and repaint on fabric panels the original design of the downtown Richlands history mural that Ellen originally painted 50 years ago in 1984. The project was initiated and funded by Ginger Branton and the Citizens for the Arts organization and Mary Lawson and additionally sponsored by the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, Travis Hackworth, and individual donors.

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Contribution for repainting project being made to Ginger Branton and Citizens for the Arts by Travis and Angela Hackworth, May, 2023.

The team painters included professional artists as well as amateur painters, all enthusiastic about and dedicated to revitalizing the faded original history mural. The painting team: Brenda Ayers, Don Elmes, Ellen Elmes, Shelley Lallande, Carol Lawrence, Amity Layne, Hilah Layne, Jennifer Payne, Linda Weatherly Shroyer, Reneé Wienecke, and Jane Willis.

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Work began at the Richlands First Methodist Church, (the church graciously allowed us a “studio” space), in July of 2023 and team members met two to three times weekly to paint together on 24 fabric panels through November of that year, and advanced painters took fabric panels with them to work on at home. Ellen finished painting the remaining panels at home during that winter. In April 2025, Don Elmes worked for a month with two young men employed by Travis Hackworth and Appalachian Millworks, Inc. – Wade Vance and Stone O’Quinn – on permanently installing the newly painted mural on top of the very faded original mural. The celebration of the completion of “The Past That Makes the Future Better” took place on June 16, 2024, and was officially dedicated by the Citizens for the Arts members, the Town of Richlands, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, and citizens of the town.

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