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Sophomore architect major, Cole Davis, painted “The Rock” for the first time in June 2024. He now has a mural on the side of Boyd’s Jig and Reel in the Old City.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn — A sophomore architect major at the University of Tennessee is helping keep a campus tradition alive.
Cole Davis painted “The Rock” for the first time in June 2024. He has painted it 12 times since then, with his most recent project taking nearly 10 hours to complete.
“The first time I painted the rock was last summer when UT won their baseball championship,” Davis said. “After that, they reached out to me and said we want you to do more stuff. Since then, it’s been about once or once a month.”
Davis won the Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk in Downtown Knoxville back in 2024. He said he doesn’t remember life without his brushes.
“There’s not a definite start date. It’s pretty much just been as long as I’ve been alive,” Davis said. “Everyone draws when they’re a kid, but I just never stopped.”
Chloe Peterson, another UT painter, has a similar story. The two met at the Chalk Walk, and she, too, can’t remember life without expression through art.
“I want to do something that speaks for what this campus stands for,” Peterson said. “I want to do something that screams Volunteer pride.”
Peterson has painted “The Rock” more than 25 times. She said it’s something she never thought she’d do, but now paints it almost every single football game.
“It’s essentially the news capital for Tennessee. This is where all of our messages come across. Good, bad, ugly, indifferent, game day, political statement, feelings, birthdays, anniversaries or engagements,” Peterson said. “This is where that happens, and for this to continue and for someone to continue to keep the spirit alive, would mean so much to the volunteer spirit and what we stand for.”
Davis said he has plans to continue painting “The Rock,” and enjoys the atmosphere of creating art outdoors.
“It’s not an experience you get when you’re in a studio by a canvas,” Davis said. “Being outside and hearing people walk by, it’s a completely different mindset. I like that.”
Davis doesn’t just use paints—he uses charcoal, chalk, and oils. He said his personal paintings are a greater reflection of who he is.
“With a lot of professional work, it’s hard to have yourself shine through with that,” Davis said. “When I’m working in the studio, and drawing with just a pencil, and doing oil paints and things like that—they’re a little bit of a true reflection of who I am and what I enjoy about art.”
Davis has plans to complete another painting in the Old City, but can’t share details yet. This would be his second painting downtown, with his first being on the walls of Boyd’s Jig and Reel.