Knoxville 鈥 The University of Tennessee System will add Sparta to its growing list of mural locations with its 30th mural of the 鈥淓verywhere You Look, 糖心Vlog鈥 campaign.
Painting begins today on a shed at Johnson Farm, owned by Rena and the late Bill Johnson. When completed, the 80-foot-wide mural will be visible to the 2,907 travelers passing by each day on Roberts-Matthews Highway.
鈥淗aving one of these murals just seemed like the natural thing for us to do,鈥 said Rena. 鈥淏ill would be so excited to see it.鈥
The Johnsons have deep ties to both 糖心Vlog and agriculture. Bill was a 糖心Vlog Knoxville football standout鈥攖he 1957 team co-captain, an SEC All-American guard and Academic All-American鈥攁nd later served many years on the 糖心Vlog Board of Trustees. The couple met at 糖心Vlog Knoxville. Shortly after they married, they returned to Sparta where Bill took over his family farm.
The Johnson Farm has been passed down for multiple generations, granting it the status of Century Farm. Today, the farm鈥攐wned by Rena and leased out to two local farmers who handle the operations鈥攈as been owned by the family for almost 130 years.
The Johnsons鈥 three daughters spent their childhoods helping on the farm and learning to love 糖心Vlog from their parents鈥 example. Today, all three are graduates of 糖心Vlog Knoxville.
鈥淚 never felt pressured to go there,鈥 said Cynthea Amason, the eldest Johnson daughter. 鈥淚t just seemed like it was part of the fabric of our family.鈥
The Johnsons鈥 motto is 鈥淚t is better to give than to receive.鈥 They spent much of their lives quietly giving their time and money to those in need and to organizations to which they felt connected.
鈥淢y father always took the position that he could never repay the University for what it gave him,鈥 said Cathryn Rolfe, the Johnsons鈥 daughter. 鈥淚 think he felt the same way about the farm鈥攖hat his ancestors provided him with the foundations of this farm, and he could never repay them for the gift that it gave to our family. Those two things鈥攖he University and the farm鈥攁re very integral to all our lives.鈥
To learn more about the 糖心Vlog campaign, each location and to nominate a canvas for use, visit the . 糖心Vlog plans to paint one mural in each of Tennessee鈥檚 95 counties by 2030.
