What says “America” more than small-town middle America? Old men playing checkers, a rusty water tower, a revolutionary war cannon in the town square. Now a hardware store in Nashville, Indiana, boasts a 10,000-square-foot mural on the roof that can be seen from all over the city. Not just a flag mural, but complete with a screaming eagle and a bear! America!
The artist, Adam Long, took two weeks to complete the massive American flag on the roof of Bear Hardware in the tiny, southern Indiana town. The owners of the hardware store commissioned Long to paint the mural, but it was his idea to make it the size it is now. Long told Fox News, via Breitbart:
“I got to the top of the roof, and I thought, ‘You know, what if we took this opportunity to do something bigger? What if he did something that went national?”
A flag isn’t the only thing Long painted. One of the themes of the area is black bears, even though bears aren’t present in southern Indiana. A bit of an inside joke, I suppose. In this case, the bear isn’t because of the location but rather an homage to the owner’s brother Barry, nicknamed Bear, who lost his life in 1991 during a home burglary. Throw in a majestic bald eagle, presumably about to swoop down and deliver a fresh, steaming pile of patriotism, and you are all set.
Long continued:
“I just wanted to do something that would be seen and would give a lot of pride in Nashville, Indiana. It was a daunting task, a little bigger than I thought it would be, but we knocked it out.”
In Long’s mural, it appears the massive flag is blowing in the wind. The painting has attracted national attention for its impressive size and scope. He continued to Fox News via Breitbart:
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“People recognize the amount of work here, which is always gratifying,” he told Fox News. “But definitely hearing things from across the country now in appreciation.”
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The ability to translate something normal size into something as huge as a 10,000-foot mural is stunning. Even more impressive is Long told Fox News he started painting the same year he created the mural. The 43-year-old Long has painted more than 84 pieces across Indiana. There is a shocking amount of artistic talent in Brown County, Indiana.
Nashville, Indiana, is a small town located in Brown County, Indiana. It is renowned for its music, crafts, antiques, food, and theater. The historic Brown County Art Colony was formed there in 1907, so it’s little surprise that someone as talented as Long resides in the area.
The city is adjacent to the rolling hills and lush meadows of Brown County State Park, which is an outdoorsman’s paradise, even if there aren’t any bears.
Between the antiquing, the food, the music, and the small-town America vibe that Nashville, Indiana, provides, people are now being treated to a massive tribute to America and Bear Hardware.
With so many places in the country basically too dangerous or too run-down to visit, Nashville, Indiana, is a throwback to a safer, more patriotic time. A time when you could throw the kids in the back of the station wagon and head out to the State Park for a day of fun in nature. Even more so now, thanks to Adam Long and Bear Hardware.