In March 2012, I created the I Believe in Nashville mural for $60 in wheat paste and materials. What started as a symbol of positivity following the 2010 floods grew beyond anything I imagined— the murals become destinations for people visiting from around the world, appeared in publications and commercials from The New York Times to Pepsi, and lead to collaborations with companies like Instagram and Google. The mural contributed to Nashville's acceptance of street art as a contemporary form, and by the time I exited the brand in 2017, murals had become part of the city's cultural landscape.
What matters most isn't any recognition or estimated marketing impact on the city— it's the cultural impact. When a tornado devastated Nashville in 2020, the East Nashville mural became a defining image of resilience. Within weeks, merchandise sales raised nearly $700,000 in recovery relief.
When I left my retail job in 2011 with the idea of starting a design based business, I was a broke 23 year old with $2000 total to my name. I had no clear goal other than communicating with design. For something I created to become a source of identity, comfort, and community for my hometown is meaningful in a way that is difficult to convey. If I had to credit its success to one thing, it would be the people — I wanted to create something the city could connect over, and it reciprocated, to say the least.
“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
