Fayetteville’s new mural puts a creative spin on whiskey making

FAYETTEVILLE, TN, May 13, 2025 — Fayetteville’s newest and largest mural pays tribute to  the process responsible for putting Tennessee whiskey on the map. Tullahoma-based nonprofit DMA-events tasked Megan Lingerfelt with coming up with an “out-of-the-box idea” that represented how Tennessee whiskey is made and its significance to the area. The result is  “White Dog and the Spirit of the Process,” Lingerfelt’s original creation that now permanently lives on the side of Dragonfly Gallery & Design in downtown Fayetteville. 

“Reading about the whiskey-making process—and specifically the Lincoln County Process—I couldn’t help but grin when the colloquial name for raw distillate, ‘white dog,’ was mentioned," the Oak Ridge-based muralist explains. "It immediately conjured an image of a free-spirited animal tromping around, a puppy not fully matured and full of energy. That inspiration translated into the mural, specifically using sugar maple leaves, as that is what is used to make the charcoal that the white dog is filtered through. The trees are warm and glowing with spots  of light, like embers in the burn or fireflies on a warm Tennessee night.” 

Lingerfelt worked long days through stormy weather alongside her mom, artist Jeanne Seifried, to complete the two-story mural in downtown Fayetteville just before Mother's Day. “White Dog and the Spirit of the Process” is central to a handful of distilleries—Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., Nearest Green Distillery, Prichard's Distillery, Big Machine Distillery, and Company Distilling—making it an easy detour for travelers tackling the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. 

“Megan perfectly captured the essence of what the Tennessee Whiskey Mural Trail is meant to celebrate. Each mural tells a story that honors the whiskey-making tradition in a deeply personal and imaginative way,” says Ryan French, executive director of the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association. “Her depiction of 'White Dog' as a pup dashing through a sugar maple forest is sheer brilliance. It’s an inspired, next-level interpretation. I can’t say enough good things about these first two murals—they’ve completely exceeded my expectations. I’m thrilled to celebrate them as part of the Tennessee Whiskey Mural Trail for  years to come.”

About the program 

Managed by public art nonprofit DMA-events, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail Mural Project is part of the Tennessee Whiskey Country Campaign, a collaboration between the Tennessee Distillers Guild and Tennessee Whiskey Trail, South Central Tennessee Tourism Association, and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. This mural was also sponsored by the  Fayetteville-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce. In addition to bringing unique art to rural communities, the project serves as a way for visitors to dive deeper into the region’s rich whiskey roots while driving more discovery and economic activity into the towns surrounding each distillery. 

"We’re thrilled to see the Tennessee Whiskey Trail Mural Project come to life—each vibrant mural brings the story of our state’s spirits to the streets,” says Charity Toombs, executive director of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. “These works of art beautifully blend history, production, and a touch of whimsy, offering guests an immersive new way to experience the trail. As each mural is completed, it will be featured in our digital app and count as a bonus stop for all Trail travelers." 

Trail travelers who check in at the murals can stop by the Tennessee Whiskey Trailhead to collect their bonus poker chip, exclusively available at the Lynchburg location. The first mural, “Crafting Whiskey” by Kim Radford, is located at the Retreat at Whiskey Creek in Lynchburg. The next Tennessee Whiskey Trail Mural Project will begin in Wartrace in late June. Each completed piece also will be featured on the Experience Tennessee app. 

About DMA-events, Inc. 

Journalists Kristin Luna and Scott van Velsor started 501(c)(3) DMA-events in May 2018 as a catalyst to provide free access to art to rural communities throughout the South, with more than 60 large-scale murals successfully completed to date. In April 2021, DMA-event’s Walls for Women program was awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution’s state public relations and media award for commitment to historic preservation, education, and patriotism consistent with the DAR mission.