Mildred's Grill Gets Fresh Photography

When the Nature Museum first opened in 1990, photographs many feet across filled its expansive walls. Printed on canvas using a 3M process called Scanamural, the massive wall art served the Mountain well for almost two decades. Now the decor is being freshen up with new photography.

In the age of digital photography, Scanamural is obsolete. The replacement photographs are printed on artist fabric using “grand format” digital imaging. Created with modern technology and better inks, the new art is brighter, sharper and could last 50 years if not hung in direct sunlight.

Jim and Catherine Morton selected six photographs taken by their father, the late Hugh Morton. Although the scenes are similar to the subjects represented in the first wall hangings, only one close-up on the face Mildred the Bear is a reprint of a previous mural. Like the collection that hung in the Museum before, the updated assortment of images includes a cougar, a bald eagle and a buck deer.

Two fresh subjects in the collection were favorite photographs of Hugh Morton’s. In the first you see the silhouette of Mildred the Bear perched on the huge boulder in the bear habitat while low hanging clouds delineate the blue ridges retreating to the horizon beyond. The second captures a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding on a red bee-balm blossom.

The photographic enlargements were produced at Creative Color in Tampa, Florida, a custom photo lab that evolved into a digital imaging center as the processing industry changed with the times. Specializing in mural-sized graphics for trade shows, the shop also produces wall graphics for all of the AAA offices in the Southeast.

The Scanamural photographs-on-canvas that were removed from the Museum will be donated to area high schools whose athletic teams have corresponding mascots.

"Athletic teams named for cougars, eagles and bears were easy to find," said News Director Landis Wofford, "but we had a time finding a team represented by a deer. Hurray for the Hoke High Bucks!"

Return to E-Scape Newsletter

Print this PageShare this PageAdd to Favourites