Mural Projects
Iconic Women of Gloucester– 2024
Bridget Cimino – 2024
The mural was commissioned by the Cook Foundation in 2024 and placed on the opposing side of the building with the T.C. Walker mural. The mural represents 250 years of women in and from Gloucester contributing to the county, Virginia, and the United States of America. The mural features the following women:
Judith Lomax, (1774 – 1828), a poet from the early 19th century, made a significant contribution to American literature with her collection "The Notes of an American Lyre," published in 1813. Born in Port Tobacco, Maryland, Lomax was one of the first women in the United States to publish a book of poetry under her own name. "The Notes of an American Lyre" is notable for its patriotic themes and reflections on the young nation's ideals and struggles.
Kacey Carneal (1935 - 2022) Kacey Carneal began painting at age 50, forging a remarkable career as a self-taught artist whose joyful yet piercing visual language captured the essence of identity, community, and care for the world around her. Her distinctive style, often through bold colors and expressive brushstrokes, captures the essence of Virginia life and nature. Her permanent collection resides with The Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester.
Irene Morgan (1917 - 2007), a civil rights icon whose landmark case in 1944 - 1946, argued by Thurgood Marshall on behalf of Morgan and the NAACP, resulted in a US Supreme Court decision that set a legal precedent that bolstered the Freedom Rider movement largely credited to Rosa Parks. Morgan also worked during this time on the production line of the B-26 Marauder aircraft.
Jennie Booth Moton (1879-1942), a Gloucester native, served as the Director of the Department of Women's Industries at the Tuskegee Institute, was a lifelong educator, and was married to Robert Russa Moton. As a special field agent for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) in the 1930s and 40s, she worked to improve the lives of rural African Americans in the South.
Mary Shipko (1949), an aviation pioneer, is the first woman to become a commercial aviation pilot for Hughes Air, at a turning point in history. When women started to enter male-dominated jobs, the beginning of the Quiet Revolution for women. She currently resides in Gloucester.
Margaret Ann Tunner (1917 - 2009), WASP during World War II who retired to a beautiful farm in Ware Neck, Virginia, in 1960 with her husband, Lt. General William Tunner. She also testified before Congress to request recognition of the WASPs as having performed militarily during WWII. Her request was successful and transformed history for the women she served alongside.
The inspiring contributions by these women to the county and the Commonwealth are worthy of recognition.
Main Street Beecycles
Matt Lively – 2022
The mural was commissioned by the Cook Foundation in 2022. Placed on the facade of the Hudson Building it showcases bright flowers and bees riding bicycles. Gloucester County is an official Bee City and in 1974, Gloucester County adopted the beehive on its seal, symbolizing the unity and labor of a colony, or the unity of a community working together. Local use of the beehive symbol dates back to the early 1800s.
T.C. Walker
Michael Rosato – 2020
Commissioned in 2019, the Cook Foundation honors the man known as Virginia’s “Black Governor”, Thomas Calhoun (T.C.) Walker was a teacher, lawyer, and government official. Born a slave less than a year before President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Walker grew up to become the first African American to practice law in Gloucester County. Click on the button below to view an interactive story of the mural.
Narcissi
Louise “Ouizi” Jones – 2018
One of our most popular projects to date is the stunning, larger than life, daffodil mural created by artist Louise Chen Jones in just one week during the Gloucester Arts Festival month of June 2018. The mural commemorates the community’s rich history and designation as the Daffodil Capital of the World. This work was inspired by a bouquet given to Louise when visiting Brent and Becky Heath’s gardens in Ware Neck, Virginia.
Watermen, Waterfowl
Amy Bartlett Wright – 2019
This mural on the historic Tabb House Lawn was commissioned by the Cook Foundation in 2019 honoring the men and women who make a living by fishing, crabbing and oystering on the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding tributaries.
Life & Legend of Pocahontas
Michael Kirby – 2007
The mural was commissioned by the Cook Foundation in 2006. The Foundation wanted to honor Gloucester’s rich history and place in the colonial heritage of our nation for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007. The board chose muralist Michael Kirby of Maryland to design and execute a mural commemorating the Life and Legend of Pocahontas, our native Virginia Princess.
Art-Loving Community
Support the arts in Gloucester, Virginia.
“Art is one of those few things that has many, many functions in a community. It is often a way to get people to pause and reflect on their lives and the lives of others and what’s important and what is meaningful.”
– Adrianne Ryder-Cook Joseph