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Nocturnal & Cave Wildlife Mural

Ashton Ludden, 2020
Great Smoky Mountain: Nocturnal & Cave Wildlife Mural
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ludden partnered with Arrowmont to create a new mural for campus. As an artist perpetually inspired by our relationship to wildlife, Ludden chose to design a mural that features a variety of Smoky Mountain flora and fauna. The overall aesthetic was inspired by WPA National Park posters. Due to the proximity of the mural to the student lounge, a popular gathering place for the more nocturnal Arrowmont instructors and students, Ludden narrowed the scope of the included wildlife to nocturnal and cave wildlife. The artist consulted with two staff members from the park, an entomologist, and a forester, to ask research questions and get guidance on the specific species of nocturnal and cave wildlife present in the Smokies. There are over twenty-two species of plants and animals depicted in the mural. Can you spot them all?

Black bear (Ursus americanus)
Saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus)
Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Racoon (Procyon lotor)
Woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapusinsignis)
Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
Juvenile Eastern red-spotted salamander (Notophthalmus viridescens)
Black-chinned salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Cave salamander (Eurycea lucifuga)
Regal moth (Citheronia regalis)
Lunar moth (Actias luna)
Geometer moth (Geometridae)
Water snake (Nerodia sipedon)
Synchronized fireflies (Photinus carolinus)
Blue Ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata)
Ghost Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis)
White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus)
Orange mycena (Mycena leaiana)
Oligoporus persicinus

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Tucked into a 13-acre, wooded hillside, the Arrowmont campus is a beautiful retreat sure to inspire your artistic growth. Our campus sits on the edge of the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the bustling downtown Gatlinburg parkway. It’s the best of both worlds, with shopping, entertainment and unforgettable scenery all around you.

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