project overview

Binghampton Police Station | Binghampton

Local artist Carol DeForest created this dimensional tile mural depicting the Binghampton neighborhood. The mural is built into the Entryway of the Memphis Central Police Precinct. It is an accurate, aerial view of the community, reflecting the area that the police serve and protect. 

Carol DeForest held an art workshop for youth at the Lester Community Center to incorporate their work into the mural. She lead participants in an after-school program in efforts to create portraits and self-portraits on ceramic tiles.  The tiles form a border around the ceramic map, showing some of the unique faces and personalities of the children of Binghampton. 

Her participation as lead artist on this project was commissioned by the City of Memphis through the UrbanArt Commission.  Public art pieces have been commissioned to help instill a sense of pride in local police and to connect the precinct with the surrounding community, promoting harmony between the two.  This youth art workshop was the first in a series of two held at the Lester Community Center.

about the artist 

Carol DeForest

Deforest was born in Tennessee, but she spent the first part of her life in Texas, where she was greatly influenced by Latin culture. She moved back to Tennessee to attend Rhodes College, receiving a BFA in art. She also attended Memphis College of Art where she earned a BFA in clay. She has been a working artist for almost 40 years in Memphis, TN. 

During her career as an artist, Carol DeForest has completed several works of public art with the UrbanArt Commission. DeForest frequently utilizes found objects and natural materials in her work to create abstract images that reference nature.  DeForest currently lives and works in Memphis.