I Believe in Nashville was a mural I created in March of 2012 that grew into a symbol and brand, becoming part of the cultural fabric and lexicon of Nashville, TN. Created for $60 in wheat paste and materials, it's estimated the murals and symbol have been seen by 1 in 50 people globally, appearing across major publications, media outlets and social media, and contributing hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing value and economic impact to the city. I exited the brand at the end of 2017.
Created as a symbol of positivity and unity following the devastating 2010 floods, with a bit of underlying satire directed at the increased partisanship surrounding the upcoming 2012 Presidential Election. At the time, I'd never painted a mural, but it felt like the correct medium for sharing the symbol, particularly with Instagram having launched a little over a year before. There was an empty building in the 12 South neighborhood, so I called the 'For Lease' sign and the owner, Andy Howell, liked the idea enough to let me put it up, at least for a year. So I watched a Shepard Fairey video on how to wheat paste, went to Home Depot and Kinkos, and waited for a sunny day in early March 2012.
By July of 2012 there were lines to take a photo with the mural and it had its first publication appearance in that month's issue of GQ. Over the next several years it would appear across publications, television shows and social media locally, nationally, and internationally. Some of those include: The New York Times, USA Today, the BBC, the Hollywood Reporter, CNN, and People to name a few.
It lead to collaborations and features in commercials with Converse, Pepsi, Macy's, Facebook, Google, and ironically, Instagram, amongst others.
Through social media and intranetworks, spread by visitors from all over the world lining up to take their photos with the murals, as well as notable figures like the Foo Fighters and Reese Witherspoon wearing merchandise and sharing their photos, the reach became global and broad.
At the time I put up the mural in 2012, murals were not an attraction or seen as a contemporary art form, with most of the murals in Nashville being more traditional, community based projects. To be absolutely clear, I'm not taking credit for Nashville's mural renaissance, but I am proud to have played a part in the acceptance and growth of murals in my hometown. Today, Nashville is covered in murals, artists are able to make a full time living painting them, and there are tours to drive visitors around and see them. In fact, when you book an AirBnB in Nashville you will get an email suggesting you book a mural tour; the image being that of the original I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE mural. By the time I exited the brand in 2017 there was a mural on the side of the arena and a small one in the airport.
While the murals, really the symbol itself, became globally recognized iconography for the city, what is most profound for me is the cultural impact it has had. When a devastating tornado came through Nashville in 2020, one of the defining images of the aftermath was that of the I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE mural in East Nashville, the only section of the building not destroyed. Within weeks of the disaster, sales of the merchandise were nearing $700,000 raised for recovery relief. For something I created as a broke 23 year old to years later be a source of resilience, community, and comfort for the city I am from is deeply meaningful.
“Adrien created a defining piece of statement art to help heal our great city when Nashville needed it most. Over the years, ‘I Believe In Nashville,” has gone from a statement on a building to an iconic and powerful symbol for the whole city. Tourists find their way to it for a photograph but hopefully come away knowing what it represents – our inclusivity, our optimism and our resilience.” - Megan Barry, Former Mayor of Nashville
When I left my retail job in 2011 with an idea of starting a design based business, $2000 total to my name, I had no idea what might happen. The loose plan I had quickly went out the window, and for the next several years I was constantly adapting to meet the moment. If I had to narrow the success of I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE down to one thing it would be people - I had an idea I wanted to connect with people, a feeling of how people would interact with it and the tools they would use to do so, and a hope that they would reciprocate my desire to connect.
A few years back I met an acquaintance of an acquaintance, and our mutual friend introduced me as the person who created the I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE mural. He told us that when he and his wife were first visiting, deciding if they wanted to move, they were walking through 12 South and took their photo with the original mural. He said, that was the moment they decided they'd found their home.
All things considered, I'd call that a success.