A new mural can be found in downtown Sevierville at the corner of Court Avenue and Joy Street on the side of the old Pines Theater building. The mural depicts famous country music artists who once played at the old theater, including a young Dolly Parton. I was lucky to catch the mural artist in the last stages of his work.
On September 8, 2022, I found Seth Bishop outlining the figures for the mural. He is also the artist who painted the second mural in Seveville. The Red’s Cafe Mural is on Bruce Street, across the street from the gazebo and by the Appalachian restaurant. Truly, it is a fascinating process to see the shapes become figures on a large wall. I dropped by three times because it is always interesting to follow the progress of a large public artwork. Roy AcuffArchie CampbellJune Carter Cash Chet AtkinsA young Dolly Parton performed at the Pines for her first paying gig.
I always like to watch an artist put their signature on a finished mural.
The artist is based out of North Carolina, but has recently been living in Oaxaca Mexico. Find Seth Bishop on Instagram at the address in the picture above s.bisho.p You can see more of his art, including work in Oaxaca, on his Instagram page. It was really interesting to see his work in both countries on Instagram.
Public art creates a vitality within a community. This mural will make visitors wonder why these country music legends are featured on a wall in downtown Sevierville. Visitors and locals alike will enjoy learning about the history of the Pines Theater and the artists who once played music within those walls. Seth Bishop and the building developer, Austin Williams, have brought that history back to our attention with this mural of country music legends at the Pines Theater.
Certainly, we are excited to see a fourth mural in our town!
There is a new place to find coffee, smoothies, breakfast, and lunch in downtown Sevierville. Penny’s Cafe offers all those things and more. In addition, local artists display their work in this spacious area. I went by this summer and noticed that the cafe is already quite popular. Here are some quick observations.
First, Penny’s Cafe is located across the street from the gazebo on Bruce Street—an excellent location. In the picture above, you can see the cafe is located to the right of the old post office building. Park in the parking lot across the street, on the street, or down the street near the courthouse and just walk a short distance for a really nice cappuccino.
We got a friendly greeting as we walked into Penny’s Cafe. The menu is located on the wall to the left.
This is a nice little area to wait for a friend if you are early. The view across the street of Sims Barbershop may fo a local coming or going after a nice cut.
Young people have discovered the nice coffee and more at Penny’s Cafe. This sofa is a comfortable place to catch up with friends and refresh.
The new espresso machine makes one of the best cappuccinos that I have had this year in the U.S. I learned to love avocado toast on a trip to California so I was excited to see several variations on the menu. I ordered “Everything Avocado Toast” on rye bread, but you can order it on two other kinds of bread as well. It had the Everything Bagel seasoning and was quite substancial. I was not able to eat both pieces and was not hungry for hours. Penny’s Cafe is spacious and visually attractive, displaying work from local artists on the walls and in display cases. You will surely find a gift or personal treasure there. I found myself browsing the art and wondering what would look good on my walls.If you need a gift, one can be found in this display case…
Or this …
… or this display. I love the horse painting on the back wall and wonder where it could go in my home. There is so much art to see at Penny’s Cafe so it would be a good idea to plan extra time to do so.
In closing, Penny’s Cafe in downtown Sevierville brings coffee, food, and art to Bruce Street that has missing for a while. The cafe has already been embraced by locals and visitors alike. Drop by and enjoy a morning drink or meal to start the day. See you out and about in Sevierville.
Here are some screen shots of the coffee menu from the Penny’s Cafe Facebook page. Go to the Facebook page to see more. Here is the link.
The second mural in downtown Sevierville seemed to pop up quickly and quietly in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic. Finally, I am finally writing about this interesting piece of public art downtown. Here is a look at the second mural in downtown Sevierville: Red’s Cafe.
According to local historian, Carroll McMahan, ‘Red’ Clevenger was named for his red hair. He grew up in Newport and worked for the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) before buying the Rainbow Inn Restaurant on Chapman Highway. Later, he married, sold his business, was drafted into the army during WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, receiving a Purple Heart. Clearly, Red Clevenger lived quite a life up to that time!
McMahan tells how Red returned home and built a cafe on Bruce Street in downtown Sevierville. Click the link and scroll down to # 3 to read more of Carroll McMahan’s stories about Red Clevenger, his kindness, generosity—and a keen sense of humor. It is so appropriate that this local citizen was memorialized on the second mural in downtown Sevierville. Here is a link to Carroll McMahan’s writing about Red Clevenger.
The Red’s Cafe mural in downtown Sevierville is facing the courtyard of the Appalachian Restaurant on Bruce Street. It is also located on the brick wall of Wanderlust Spa and Salon. This photo captures an interesting aspect of the mural, visible through the gazebo on Bruce Street.
Red’s Cafe depicts local businessman Paul “Red” Clevenger serving one of his famous hamburgers to a young child sitting at the counter. The child is Dolly Parton, who came to the cafe with her father and enjoyed Red’s special hamburgers during her youth.
Click this link from the Visit Sevierville Youtube webpage to hear Dolly tell the story herself.
In honor of this special place, Dolly added a Red’s Cafe eatery at her Dollywood theme park to memorialize one of her favorite places to eat in Sevierville. Everyone who has visited Dollywood since 1995 has strolled by Red’s Cafe in the Jukebox Junction area of the park. Naturally, the specialty at this Dollywood restaurant is hamburgers!
Visitors can read more information about Red Clevenger on the walls of Red’s Cafe in Dollywood. One story recounts the kindness of the cafe owner to families who would sometimes buy a hamburger and cut it in half for their younger children. In a generous move, Red would remark that the child looked “big enough to eat a whole burger by themselves” so he would throw an extra hamburger on the grill.
I was lucky to observe the artists in action on August 17, 2020. You can see the preliminary work and the ‘doodle grid’ that helps artists create murals on large areas.
The artists are from Asheville, North Carolina.
You can see more art from Smoky Mountain Mural Company on Instagram.
Here, the illustration of the young Dolly Parton begins to emerge on the mural. The artists usually begin a mural at night by projecting an image on the wall, but it did not work for this mural so they used a second technique called a ‘doodle grid.’ For that, the artists determined the area, designed a square grid by chalking out lines, drew the base prime image and circled them. The swirls and graffiti help to anchor the mural spaces visually, then the artists take another picture of the wall, use an overlay and mark the spacing of the subjects.
See the artists explain their process on the Visit Sevierville TikTok app page. Here is a link.
The Dollywood blog also has stories about Red and his cafe. You can see a picture of Red and his wife Lois in that article as well. Click the photo below to link to the Dollywood blog.
The mural had been finished for 11 months by the time that I visited again on July 17, 2021 when I visited the downtown Sevierville Farmer’s market to do some shopping. A favorite, the Sevierville Cruze Farm store had a table set up with milk and ice cream. One of the Cruze Farm helpers was dressed in the unique Cruze Farm dress so I asked if I could take her picture in front of the mural and they kindly obliged. This cute young lady posed with cup of ice cream as if to to toast Dolly, Red Clevenger, and a favorite place to eat in downtown Sevierville decades earlier. It was perfect.
There are now three murals located on Bruce Street: two outdoor murals and one mural inside 10 Realty. Bruce Street is certainly an exciting place to explore art and more. See you out and about in Sevierville.
There is a third mural in downtown Sevierville—but you must enter a gallery to see it on an interior wall. Come into the welcoming office of 10 Realty at #118 Bruce Street to see this new mural. I was excited to see the third mural in downtown Sevierville called Sevierville Shuffle. Come take a look!
First, enter Realty 10 on Bruce Street. Randy Babel, the owner, encourages visitors to come inside to see the mural and other paintings, pottery, and carvings on display in his business. Babel incorporates a realtor’s lounge with an art gallery so the public can browse, shop, and enjoy.
As you enter 10 Realty, you will notice the mural on the right.
Created by local artist, Crystal Lynn Sharp, the mural presents a map of Sevier County with local iconography. Locals will know all of them!
Crystal chose the name Sevierville Shuffle because “we (and our visitors) all tend to shuffle through our area, almost rhythmically. Sometimes we jot from place to place or glide smoothly. We always have so many choices and, like sticking your hand in your pocket and not really knowing what we are going to get, we so often are surprised by something that we did not anticipate—then, we are doing the ‘Sevierville Shuffle.’ ” Thus, this is how the artist named the mural.
Here is the technique that Crystal Lynn used to begin the process of painting the mural on a 9′ X 24′ section of wall.
Post-It Notes with the names of places and things helped to plan spacing for imagery in the mural. Truly, I think that the first process in planning a mural is quite fascinating.
In this photo, the body of the mural is falling into place. You can recognize local places and nature in the Smoky Mountains.
The owner of 10 Realty gave the artist free rein over the project. Crystal definitely kept the viewers in mind. We can gaze and guess, using our imaginations in regard to the icons. Look in the right corner in the picture above for one of the most important icons in our area. Well done!
Here is a photo that captures the Sevierville Shuffle mural as a work in progress.
Crystal recalled how Randy Babel contacted her about creating a mural inside his business. “Randy had a passion for art and he knew that we needed a space to display artists’ work so he offered up his walls in 10 Realty. It all seems to be blossoming and I was glad to help.” Indeed, it is quite impressive!
In a further description, Crystal told of painting “iconic places by using characters and representations of our well known spots as we meander down the parkway and local roads.” It is quite an enjoyable trip for the eyes.
The finished project looks perfect on that section of the wall. The Sevierville Shuffle mural will visually carry you from Exit 407 to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. It is delightful!
Randy Babel asked for Crystal’s help in finding artists willing to hang their work in the office. There is an abundance of beautiful paintings and more… and all are for sale. I took quite a while looking at everything. You need to to plan on 30 minutes or more to really take them all in. Many thanks to artist Crystal Lynn for letting me use many of her photos which show the development of the mural from the beginning to the end. To see more photos of 10 Realty/ Gallery 10, check out my previous blog story. Come to browse or even take an art class in the evening. It is definitely one of the best things now in downtown Sevierville.
Here are links to Facebook pages for more details and upcoming events.
A new space has opened in downtown Sevierville that combines a real estate office with an art gallery. Located in the previous Crust and Crumb bakery location at 118 Bruce Street, 10 Realty offers local artists a place to display their work in a gallery enviroment. If you are in the downtown area from 9-5 during the week, you really need to walk in and see this unique space! Here is a quick view.
The focal point of the room is a beautiful mural of Sevier County with local icons, painted by local artist Crystal Lynn.
This is significant because it is the third mural painted in downtown Sevierville. I am working on a story about this mural soon as it deserves a story all its own.
The wall spaces in 10 Realty make a perfect display area.
Randy Bable, the owner of 10 Realty, had a vision for his office to sell real estate, to serve local artists, and to provide a community space.
The interior communicates an upscale, outdoorsy vibe. Make note: Randy Bable made the table that you see on the right. It is an amazing piece of furniture!
I think that he may have made this chair as well. Impressive!
Every space is well used. Each frame seems to be perfectly placed!
Each piece of art is accompanied by a QR code with information about the artist and the work. Just open your phone camera and place it close to the QR symbol to open the information. ( Wouldn’t you like for someone to come to your home to hang your pictures with such perfect spacing?)
This is the QR code to one of my favorite pieces.
There really is a lot to see on each wall of 10 Realty / Gallery 10. In fact, I browsed for quite a while.
This one was one of my favorites! I love this bear scene.
10 Realty offers art and work spaces. Follow their Facebook page to keep up to date on future activities. For example, there are going to be some painting classes very soon. Here is a link to the Facebook page.
Certainly, 10 Realty will be an asset in downtown Sevierville area with all it offers to the community. Indeed, it is good to have art and artists back on Bruce Street!
I saw the Facebook announcement and was ready for the new season for the Downtown Sevierville farmers market. Not only will it return to downtown Sevierville this summer, but it will take place on Saturdays. This is exciting for those of us who did not work in the downtown area and could not make it on Fridays. It is great to have the market back for the summer!
The new streetscape downtown is looking nice. I parked in the lot on Main Street and Court Avenue, across from the Historic Sevierville Hotel. There is a little shortcut that I like to take to access the gazebo area on Bruce Street.
This is my favorite short cut from Court Avenue.
Here is a time lapse of the shortcut to the downtown farmers market.
Or, you can park behind the vendors near the gazebo area. This can come in handy if you make some larger purchases.
There were many gift ideas at this table. The vendors were so friendly as well.
I was well impressed with this vendor from Dandridge and must park closer next time so I can buy one of his herb planters. The plants were healthy and ready to use or plant at home.
Everyone’s favorite! The pastry pictured above is an Almond Tea Cake. Wonderful!
Olde Virden’s is a popular vendor at the Knoxville farmers market so it was good to see them in downtown Sevierville. The top photo in the collage above would make a good Father’s Day gift. I bought the two items pictured below. One for a gift, and the other a treat for my sister at the lake this summer. I love the Spicy Cheese Straws!
The gazebo is one of my favorite spots in the downtown area.
You will notice some new things downtown as well as the streetscape so enjoy your visit to the farmers market.
A cold February morning proved to be the right time to visit a new little coffee place in downtown Sevierville. After dreaming about a coffee shop downtown for a long time, it was exciting to finally visit Honeybee Coffee Company on Main Street and Court Avenue. It took me a while to get there, but it was worth the wait.
Honeybee Coffee Company is located on the ground floor of the new Historic Central Hotel in downtown Sevierville. Customers can use several parking spots in front of the business. I used a second option: the public parking lot across the street on Court Avenue.
The coffee shop is open every day with good hours for those of us who need a caffeine fix.
I usually get a Latte, but opted for a Chai instead because I had a really good one in Asheville a couple of years ago and wanted to try one again. The Honeybee Coffee Co Chai was excellent! I will order it again.
The quiet background music is perfect for a coffee house, fostering relaxation and concentration during your visit.
The Court Avenue side of the business has large windows that afford a view of the courthouse. There was plenty of light despite the overcast day, good for reading, etc.
The coffee beans are roasted in Knoxville.
I am a fan of interiors with a Scandinavian vibe. It was very attractive and made me want to linger.
Honeybee Coffee Co uses Cruze Farm milk products in their brews, which is as wonderful as you can imagine. Decadent!
The most popular spot in Honeybee Coffee Co.
All too soon, it was time to go.
Honeybee Coffee Co is definitely an asset to downtown and the courthouse area. You will surely find me visiting the coffee shop frequently this spring and summer while out and about in Sevierville. Save me a spot near Dolly.
Many have noticed beautiful public art and wondered when we could have the same in downtown Sevierville. Today is the day! The first mural in downtown Sevierville has been created by local artist, Pinkie Mistry.
Pinkie was chosen by the Sevierville Commons Association to create the first mural downtown at 111 E. Main Street on the back of a building owned by Sevier County Bank. I watched the process over several days and am happy to share pictures depicting the evolution of our new mural downtown. It is amazing!Â
Day 1
I drove down Bruce Street and parked behind the gazebo. The large, white wall beckoned for color and the stroke of a brush.Â
I pulled out a lawn chair and joined Sofia to watch the beginning of the process as the sun set over the courthouse.Â
First, Pinkie projected an outline on the wall and then centered it to her preference. A perfect fit!Â
Next, Pinkie and her husband took careful measurements. The mural is about 16 feet high and 20 feet across. The mural shows a large set of butterfly wings with smaller butterflies floating away  to the left. That makes this butterfly mural extra special, in my opinion. The artist chose the monarch butterfly in particular because they are found in Tennessee during the yearly migration to Mexico. Next, Pinkie and her husband fixed scaffolding to allow her to reach the higher areas of the mural. I left before they added the second level of scaffolding. That would have made me nervous to be so high in the air!
Day 2
I dropped by on my way to work and found the wings taking shape with beautiful color. Pinkie sat high above the ground to reach the top of the butterfly.
Two sections of scaffolding reached the higher parts of the mural.I saw this posted on a Facebook Live feed so I took a quick screenshot to capture this work in progress. Consequently, that is why you see the emojis in the bottom left corner. Â On my way home after work, I returned in time to see a WBIR reporter recording the story. I didn’t disturb them—just took a snap.Â
Many of us are nervous on ladders and dealing with heights so this moment was interesting. It shows how the artist captured the finer touches of the work. I saw her balancing the paint bucket on the ladder in front of her and admired both her composure and balance.Â
The Finished Product!
The next morning, I stopped by on the way to work and found the finished mural ready to enjoy! This is how it will look as you drive into the parking lot from Bruce Street.Â
Here is the hashtag to find photos of the Wings of Wander mural on social media—and where to post your photos as well. #wingsofwander  In addition, it shows how to find info on this artist. Here is a link to Pinkie Mistry’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/DesignsByPinkieMistry/ and find her on Instagram at @pinkiemistryart.                               Beautiful!              Now, there is nothing left to do but enjoy it!Wear black clothing and you almost seem to become the monarch butterfly!This may be the best thing downtown and it is free! Come and enjoy Wings of Wander, the first mural in downtown Sevierville. Many thanks to Pinkie Mistry for her talent! It was worth the wait!Â
With one look at the online invitation, I knew that it would be a great idea to see the new location of Wanderlust Salon in downtown Sevierville. I had visited the salon at the previous location so it was very exciting to learn that Wanderlust had opened in downtown Sevierville— so much more convenient now! I was able to attend the Open House a few weeks ago and signed up for some great specials. If you have not yet visited the salon, here is a look around.
The new location of the salon is downtown Sevierville on Bruce Street, just a few doors away from Graze Burgers. Although the sun was going down in the late afternoon, it was bright and cheery inside.
The salon is festive and ready for the holidays, with lots of gift ideas too.
This is my favorite gift idea!
Wanderlust is an Aveda Salon so there are many products for those who appreciate the brand. I have used them for years and like them a lot.
Any traveler will appreciate the sentiment above.
The salon is using the natural brick and wood found in the older building and it is quite warm and charming.
There are comfortable places to linger and wait for your appointment.
Of the most interest for some of us—massage rooms! There are several and each has a nice ambiance. I have already had one treatment and enjoyed the whole experience.
Many will appreciate the bohemian decor as it lends to a relaxing state of mind.
Treats were catered by Courthouse Donuts. The table was so nice!
Delightful!
A special visitor was also ‘out and about’ downtown.
The salon is spacious and the wood floors add a neutral background that loves the light. You will enjoy your time there.
I am including this photo for now to show that the Bruce Street road/utilities work is going on downtown, but you can easily walk from the parking lot at the gazebo directly into the salon. For parking, turn down Court Avenue and take a left on Bruce Street to access the gazebo parking lot. You can easily cross the street to the salon.
There are two barbershops downtown so it is going to be so nice to have a salon as well! The Wanderlust Salon Open House had some well priced specials: consequently, I have already had one massage and will have another in the next couple of weeks. You can find  future specials by following them on Facebook. Here is a link. https://www.facebook.com/Wanderlustsalonspa/
There are some exciting things in store for downtown Sevierville and Wanderlust Salon and Spa is a key component to that growth. It is also exciting for clients who appreciate Aveda salon and spa services. Wander over to the area and see this exciting new business when you are out and about in Sevierville.Â
Despite a threat of rain, I went downtown to see the last weekend of History and Haunts in downtown Sevierville. What a nice event! This was a special event that took place every Saturday in October. Each Saturday offered unique activities and fun. I was particularly looking forward to the last Saturday in October due to the Haunted History walking tour, led by Sevier County Historian Carroll McMahan—and it was amazing.
There were a couple of food vendors parked in front of the courthouse. This one is becoming quite popular.
The Sevierville Commons Arts Council never disappoints with their ‘make-it-and-take-it’ art. I got a little souvenir of the season. How cute!
The Sevierville Commons Art Council had an amazing assortment of fall crafts for all ages. I especially enjoyed the pumpkin painting and the homemade masks. In the photo above, Crystal is helping me cut a mask to resemble a cat for my work outfit tomorrow. Thank you!
Fall was in full force downtown.
Music on the courthouse steps created a festive atmosphere. You could actually get a seat because a huge crowd was on the first Haunted History walking tour at 6:00. I was hoping to do the 7:30 tour to enjoy it after dark.
Downtown is lovely right now so go see it if you get a chance.
It was dark and approaching the time for the 7:30 Haunted History walking tour. It was full of tales about past Sevier County citizens, many who met a tragic end. The actors above were members of the Seymour High School Drama and Forensics group. They were excellent!
I checked the radar on my iPhone (as my friends and colleagues know that I do) and saw that showers and thunderstorms were nearby. Because the threat of bad weather, the 7:30 walking history tour took place in front of the courthouse. It was a good call.
Dolly seemed to be listening to the tales along with us.
The students were assigned a person in Sevier County history and given a brief background about the person, but it was the students’ responsibility to create lines and to retell the story in the ‘first person.’ They did a great job! Caroll McMahan, Sevier County Historian, led the tours and introduced the former Sevier County residents.
“Former residents’ summarized their lives…and their untimely ends. I really enjoyed the improvisation and the interaction between the actors and Carroll McMahan, our county historian.
This unfortunate character ended up with an axe in the head. Â (The actor said that you can find and axe like this one on Amazon!)
Each character told their story quite cheerfully. The students skillfully performed their lines and roles. Bravo!
At the end, choir members from Northview Academy sang a somber song to close the event. I wish that I could remember the name of the song because it was so pretty.
Because storms were headed our way, I decided to skip the storytellers and to save that for next time. In conclusion, it was such a nice event! I had heard of it before and had always wanted to do it, particularly the Haunted History walking tour with actors. I was so glad that I had the opportunity to experience History and Haunts during October and recommend it for you next year. It was such a nice evening.
Out and About in Sevierville 