Nashville’s mural scene has a new member + it weighs over 500 pounds.
The Nashville Clayscape, created by local artist Tammy Gentuso, is an 8-by-25 ft. comprehensive map of Nashville that is created out of handmade clay tiles.
Beginning in West Nashville and spanning across Donelson, the mural depicts 1,300+ hand-sculpted landmarks that took 3 years to complete.
The Nashville Clayscape mural | Gif by the NASHtoday team
Tammy began by creating sheets of weather-resistant clay which was cut into 12-by-12 inch tiles. Each tile was layered with more clay that would be sculpted into homes, buildings, restaurants, rivers, and more.
As time went on, Tammy was able to experiment with color + techniques to create the exact vision she was going for. She worked on the mural from left to right, which is why the tiles increase in complexity the further you look. One of Tammy’s favorite memories of the project was her son using a special tool to etch tiny windows onto every structure.
An interactive map key can be used to identify each landmark. Some of the ones we spotted include the Batman building, Nashville Public Square Park, Elliston Place Soda Shop, and The Clay Lady’s Campus that sits within a magnifying glass. There’s even iconic murals within the mural. Tammy’s favorite hidden gems are tandem bike stamps — honoring her + her husband’s favorite hobby — and her house that is surrounded by hearts and a sign that says, “My home.”
The Nashville Clayscape highlights Nashville in more than just visual ways. It sits on the wall of The Clay Lady’s Campus (1416 Lebanon Pk. Ste. C) honoring the selfless contributions of the community during its creation. The location, clay, supplies, and installation were donated, making the out-of-pocket cost completely free.
Our favorite part? The map is bordered by 3-inch tiles made by the Nashville community.