project overview
BERT FERGUSON COMMUNITY CENTER MURAL | Cordova
Artist: TBA
Total budget: $30,000 (includes three finalist honoraria of $500 each)
As of November 2025, Finalists have been notified
BACKGROUND
Cordova Background:
Cordova, founded in 1835 as a small farming village east of Memphis, is rich with history and tradition. The community became widely known for its floral industry, shipping fresh flowers into Memphis, and embracing the motto “Farms, Flowers, and Fellowship.” This heritage continues today through efforts like the “Cordova in Bloom” initiative, which celebrates beautification and connects the area’s floral past with its growth and diversity. The idea of “blooming” reflects Cordova’s ongoing expansion and cultural richness.
Another key landmark is the Old Cordova Railroad Station, built in 1889 along the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. Though no longer in operation, the station remains a powerful symbol of movement, connection, and history. Today, the same railway path serves as part of the Shelby County Greenline, used by more than 200,000 people annually.
Bert Ferguson Background:
The Bert Ferguson Community Center honors E.R. “Bert” Ferguson, a Memphis radio pioneer and former Parks Commission chairman. In 1947, Ferguson co-founded WDIA with John Pepper, originally broadcasting country and western music. Recognizing an untapped audience, WDIA became the first Southern station to hire Black disc jockeys, with Nat D. Williams’ Tan Town Jamboree in 1948 marking one of the nation’s first radio programs for a Black audience. This shift propelled WDIA to become the top station in Memphis and a cultural force in the region.
The community center itself opened in 2003 as a 32,500-square-foot facility featuring a banquet room, classrooms, racquetball and tennis courts, a gymnasium, art studios, and recreational spaces. Located within Bert Ferguson Park and adjacent to a library branch, the center serves as a vital hub for creativity, gathering, and community growth.
SITE SPECIFICS
Bert Ferguson Community Center is located at 8505 Trinity Rd, Cordova, TN 38018
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) and the City of Memphis, in partnership with the Bert Ferguson Community Center, are seeking an artist to design and install a large-scale exterior mural at the center.
SCOPE OF WORK
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) and the City of Memphis, in partnership with the Bert Ferguson Community Center, are seeking an artist to design and install a large-scale exterior mural at the center.
The selection committee envisions a mural that is bright, colorful, and lively, celebrating both the history and present-day life of Cordova while highlighting the role of the Bert Ferguson Community Center as a hub for fellowship and community connection.
The mural should draw inspiration from:
Historic & Local Landmarks: Old Cordova Train Station, Cordova Depot & Museum, and Historic Downtown Cordova.
Community Life: Bert Ferguson Community Center activities (dance, art, fitness, sports, youth programs), local parks and nature such as Shelby Farms and Wolf River Greenway, and family-centered imagery.
Natural Beauty: Cordova’s floral heritage (“Farms, Flowers, and Fellowship”), seasonal flowers and trees, wetlands, and wildlife.
Cultural Identity: Diverse faces and families, local arts and music traditions (including the legacy of WDIA and its role in fellowship through music and radio), faith-based and volunteer service, and school life from students to graduates.
Modern Cordova: Local small businesses, farmers markets, recreational activities, and the growth and diversity of the community today.
The committee encourages designs that intertwine history, fellowship, and movement—themes that connect Cordova’s floral and railroad past, the community’s present-day diversity, and the legacy of WDIA in bringing people together through music and voice.
Artists are asked to create a mural that is welcoming, uplifting, and inclusive, reflecting both Cordova’s unique heritage and its continued growth as a diverse, vibrant community.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Terreyo Nailor- Bert Ferguson Community Center
Justin Gibbs- Bert Ferguson Community Center
Tracie Lurry- Bert Ferguson Community Center
Dana Zabielski - Resident
Steven Lee - Resident
Caitlin Terry-McGinnis - Bert Ferguson Community Center
Kailyn Townsend - Resident
Sam Barnett - Artist
Erich Miller - City of Memphis Engineering Division
*Neighborhood Vote: Collected public votes will serve as one additional selection committee member vote for the final selected artist
