The official dedication ceremony for a recently completed mural in Downtown Wytheville that honors first lady Edith Bolling Wilson will take place on Thursday, March 8, at 4 p.m. The event, held on International Women’s Day, will be hosted by the Edith Bolling Wilson
Birthplace Museum, Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce, and the Wythe Arts Council to celebrate the first lady’s life, legacy and contributions.
Born and raised in Wytheville, Wilson served as first lady to President Woodrow Wilson from 1915-1921. Frequently cited as one of the most controversial women of the 20th century,
Wilson contributed to international policy and affairs during her husband’s presidency at the height of World War I. Wilson actively volunteered for the war effort, vocally supported American troops abroad and traveled with President Wilson to the Paris Peace Conferences.
The mural dedication ceremony will take place at the Heritage Walk in Downtown Wytheville at 200 W. Main St. The 100-foot mural depicts the life of Edith Bolling Wilson “From Wytheville to The White House” and features eight significant scenes drawing from events of Wilson’s life including her birth, Native American ancestry, life as first lady, her last visit to Wytheville at the age of 88, and her death in 1961.
Artist Andrew Williams was commissioned to paint the mural. Williams is a self-taught artist, who created his first mural for the Draper Mercantile in Draper in 2016. Since then, he has been commissioned to paint additional murals in the surrounding area. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Williams is a graduate of Pulaski County High School, and now resides in Dublin. Williams became passionate about art and nature while living in Southwest Virginia and began to create watercolor paintings and landscapes.
Williams writes: “the first lady mural was a challenging piece of artwork to create due to the amount of detailed subjects and scenes from Mrs. Wilson’s life, from her birth to her death. I am proud of this accomplishment and learned so much about this amazing first lady. It was an honor to be chosen to create this piece of history.”
The year-long mural project was funded by Bill and Farron Smith. The Smiths comment: “we had explored the possibility of a mural for several years, but had not found the right person for the project. Andrew Williams is such a talented young artist and we are excited to showcase his work in Wytheville along the Heritage Walk. The mural is a wonderful addition to Downtown. We hope the local residents and visitors to this community will enjoy the mural dedicated to first lady Mrs. Wilson for years to come, as it showcases the story of Wytheville’s “Favorite Daughter.”
A tour of the mural by the artist and museum staff will occur shortly after the ribbon cutting. For more information about the event or the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum, visit www.edithbollingwilson.org.
or call 276-223-3484.
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