The Downtown Huntsville Secret Art Trail originally consisted of nineteen pieces, ranging from sweeping murals of swimming koi and trompe l'oeil fissures painted onto the sidewalk, to Atomic Age-inspired scrap metal installations, framed works hidden down mysterious alleyways, and a Pink Panther in a parking deck.
My wife and I explored the Mae Jemison Segment of the Downtown Huntsville Secret Art Trail on a recent Saturday that felt like the first semblance of spring for the year.
This new addition to the Secret Art Trail is an easy stroll around Big Spring Park, with a collection of seven brightly adorned utility boxes, painted by local artist Jessie Andrews (@honeyblood.art on Instagram). This branch of the Secret Art Trail is mostly hiding in plain sight. This link will provide a map for you to use as you work your way around the big koi pond at Big Spring Park.
You may or may not know that astronaut Mae Jemison, (b. 1956) was born just across the Tennessee River in Decatur. She made history in 1992, becoming the first Black woman in orbit. Also the namesake of Huntsville's Jemison High School, she continues to inspire legions of us. She's flesh and blood proof that we CAN do all the things.
