So it’s not a REAL cougar, but once local artist Grace McCammond of Signature Arts  is finished painting the latest Grove mural,  it will look like a giant cougar is coming your way.

When the 3D mural is complete, it will appear as if the cat is stepping down off the wall, almost tip-toeing along the fence with one paw.  Youth from Forest Park Southeast Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club will paint and install the cat slash marks onto the fence below the mural.

The latest Grove mural is funded by Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation (WUMCRC) and the plan is to incorporate the fence and landscape into the mural project as well.  WUMCRC’s hope is that every time patrons come to the Grove, there is a new element.

Brooks Goedeker, WUMCRC community development manager, states:

“With the resurgence of the block between Boyle Avenue and Tower Grove Avenue, we want to continue helping to establish a pedestrian friendly environment that includes art.  This incorporates a boarded up building and blank fence to create a visually interesting appearance.”

Grace McCammond, local artist painting the cougar mural, states:

“While we were brainstorming different animals to possible paint on the mural, I really liked the idea of having a cougar on the side of the building.  Cats have nine lives, and the history of the Grove has seen many lives.  It keeps getting bigger and better each year.”

Want to get involved in the painting of the Grove murals?  Come on out to Grove Fest October 6th and participate in the paint-by-numbers mural located across from last years Grove Fest paint-by-numbers robot mural!

Grace McCammond working on the latest Grove mural called "I See You"

Rendering of the cougar mural

Rendering of the cat slash marks to be installed on the fence by the youth from Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club