A striking new mural is now complete in downtown Pell City. Spearheaded by Michelle and Craig Tumlin in collaboration with Houston Project, a local nonprofit dedicated to veteran advocacy, the mural is a bold statement.
Located at 1922 Cogswell Avenue on the exterior wall facing 20th Street, it depicts an American flag flying. Two soldiers, one male and one female, stand in crisp salute, their profiles a silhouette against the backdrop. Below them, a simple, yet profound, message is written: “Never Forgotten.”
“The project started a couple of years back,” said Michelle Tumlin, founder of Houston Project. “I would see murals all over the place, and I love them. I had a vision for the Houston Project to have a mural to honor not only Houston but also all heroes.”
Tumlin said the process involved financial considerations (“Murals are expensive,” she said), finding the right artist, and meeting with the building owner before going through the City’s application process.
The artist is Mallory Walls of MALLK ARTISTRY LLC, a Pell City resident during her high school years and a graduate of Victory Christian School. Walls has completed over 40 murals since 2021.
“She’s the perfect artist,” Tumlin said.
Joanna Hagan owns the building, and the mural is funded entirely by Houston Project.
“This is the first large mural in downtown Pell City,” City Manager Brian Muenger said. “It should encourage others to bring new concepts to our Planning and Zoning Commission that will enhance the community and attract more visitors. We’re extremely supportive of Michelle and this project.”
“I pray others will follow,” Tumlin said. “We have so many walls that are blank canvases. My vision has always been a bright and vibrant downtown full of life and character. This is a great start.”
About Mallory Walls
Mallory Walls, originally from Boaz and now based in Glendale, Arizona, is a self-taught artist. She is a graduate of Victory Christian School in Pell City, and is a 2023 graduate of Auburn University with a degree in healthcare.
Walls recently launched her career as a full-time artist, which has taken her across the country in a short span. Her work has largely focused on the Southeast, especially Tennessee and Alabama.
Walls is also responsible for the vibrant murals inside Victory Christian School and Church.
About the Houston Project
The Houston Project is a Pell City-based nonprofit organization founded by Michelle and Craig Tumlin in March 2022, exactly one year after her son, Houston Lee Tumlin, died by suicide at the age of 28.
Houston Tumlin was a veteran who served nearly six years in the U.S. Army as an E-5 Sergeant in the 101st Airborne Division. After his military service, he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Houston Project was created in his honor to be Houston’s voice and to raise money and awareness about the mental battles veterans face. The organization operates a storefront in downtown Pell City, owned by the Tumlin family, which sells various products. All profits from these sales benefit local veterans and their families, helping to meet their needs.
