Getting your Trinity Audio player ready. The City of Elizabethton, in partnership with Main Street Elizabethton, has announced the completion of the final two mosaics installed in the 400 Block Breezeway downtown, rounding out a multi-year public art project that highlights some of Carter County’s most beloved destinations. Local artist Karen Hitchcock, of Blue River Studio LLC, designed and created a total of eight mosaics inspired by the area’s natural beauty and tourism assets. The newest installations feature the Fraser fir and Laurel Falls. The Fraser fir mosaic honors one of Elizabethton’s most iconic holiday sights the decorative evergreen standing near the historic Folsom House. The tree is recognized as one of the oldest and tallest decorated evergreens in the country and is celebrated each year at the Annual Tree Lighting hosted by Carter County Bank. The Laurel Falls mosaic showcases one of Carter County’s top outdoor recreation destinations. “When the sun shines across the mosaic, the colors shift just like the real falls,” Hitchcock said. “I wanted it to reflect nature as faithfully as possible.” Hitchcock said working on the breezeway series has been a joyful and creative journey. “It was a lot of fun to design and create the whole thing,” she said. “I want people to feel happy and proud of our community when they see these mosaics. I hope they inspire folks to explore these beautiful places in person. I’m thankful to those who helped support this public art project, such as the DBA who supported the first six mosaics, Main Street and the City for coordinating the final two, and my friends and fellow artists Carolyn McLaney and Joyce Iverson for collaborating with me on these pieces.” With the completion of the two newest works, downtown Elizabethton now features nine public art pieces created by Blue River Studio LLC. Hitchcock said she fell in love with the downtown district when she first moved to the area and is proud to see her work displayed throughout the district. “It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come in a decade,” Hitchcock said. “Public art is becoming a priority, and it’s something everyone can enjoy.” Each mosaic in the series reflects a treasured Carter County tourism asset. Designs include Watauga Lake, the Covered Bridge, Roan Mountain, Fort Watauga, Blue Hole, the Tweetsie Railroad, and now the Fraser fir and Laurel Falls. In addition to the artwork itself, Hitchcock tucked hidden items into each mosaic, including the two new pieces, encouraging community members and visitors to take a closer look as they explore the breezeways while shopping and dining downtown. The first six mosaics were commissioned through the Downtown Business Association and made possible by generous donations from Hitchcock. The final two pieces were completed through a partnership between the City of Elizabethton and Main Street Elizabethton and funded by a Tennessee Arts Commission Arts Build Communities grant. The project provided artist compensation for Hitchcock to complete the final two mosaics in the 400 Block Breezeway and also covered supplies to add fresh student-designed barn quilt square art to the 600 Block Breezeway. Those interested in learning more about Blue River Studio LLC or in commissioning mosaic artwork may contact Hitchcock at blueriverstudiollc@gmail. com.
https://elizabethton.com/2025/11/24/new-downtown-mosaics-celebrate-carter-countys-natural-beauty/
