Gore receives mini-grant for Trace mural

Special to The Clinton Courier

Clintonian Paul Gore has received a grant for a mural depicting the progress of the Natchez Trace.

Mississippi folklife artist Paul Gore of Clinton has received a $500 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts.  The funds will go to purchase materials necessary to ensure the durability of his proposed 20’ x 40’ mural depicting the progress of the Natchez Trace, once known as a bison trail called “Traces.”

The mural’s proposed site is within walking distance of the Natchez Trace and is expected to attract visitors from around the world.

Gore’s recognition as a Mississippi Folklife Directory Artist was received for his hand lettering and mural painting.  His experience has grown from hand lettering of commercial signs beginning at the age of fourteen; to a surround mural of the Shrimp Hut in Laurel, Mississippi; refurbishing family heirloom signs and gold leafing office doors in Mississippi’s New Capitol.

Surface preparation is the key to the longevity of any mural.  The funds from the Mississippi Arts Commission will be used to purchase the polymeric paint to prep the wall’s surface.  The mural will begin with the depiction of a life-sized bison, the animals that forged the Trace, followed by Native American hunters, European traders and then modern-day travelers.

Gore says the mural holds a special place in his heart, as his childhood home was located on the Old Trace.  His finds of rusty bridal bits, an old English die, arrowheads, and Civil War bullets inspired him to read extensively about the Trace’s history.

Works by Gore may be viewed on the Mississippi Folklife Directory at www.MSFolkDirectory.org.