The latest utility box artwork depicts celebrated African-American contralto Marian Anderson and the fretless banjo that played a significant role in The Snowden Family's music. The artwork is located on the corner of West High Street and Public Square. Credit: Submitted by the Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau

MOUNT VERNON — The most recent utility box art project highlights two under-told stories focusing on music and arts in Mount Vernon.

The artwork honors Marian Anderson, a celebrated African-American contralto who performed at the Knox Memorial Theater twice, and the Snowden Family Band.

The box is located at the corner of West High Street and Public Square.

“Mount Vernon is a creative community, where both artists and musicians can explore their style and share their gifts,” said Olivia Toth, marketing manager of the Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“When we thought about what stories to highlight, we wanted to highlight those that may not have always had the spotlight. Highlighting Marian Anderson’s historical 1930s performances at the Knox Memorial and paying homage to the Snowden Family Band were great historical moments and people who shaped culture locally and beyond.”

“We hope that when people visit during the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival, and after, they can admire this unique storytelling, while continuing to explore our history as more art is added into downtown,” said Lacey Filkins, director of Experience Mount Vernon.

The Knox County CVB and Experience Mount Vernon are funding the utility box art project.

Additional support is made possible through a grant from the Ariel Foundation.

Anderson’s first performance was in 1930, followed by a second in 1939. The local Booker T. Washington Club was responsible for raising the funds to bring her to the city during the Great Depression.

Marian Anderson Credit: Submitted

Despite her fame, Anderson was denied accommodation at local hotels due to prevailing segregationist policies. She stayed with local African-American families instead.

Her 1939 performance took place just one month after her historic open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C, for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and a crowd of over 75,000 concertgoers. 

In creating the utility box art, artist Emily Morrison studied old photos and any historic information she could find on the Snowden Family Band.

“It was important to me to really pay homage to not only [The Snowden Family Band], but the instrument (fretless banjo) that played a vital role in their sound and legacy,” said Morrison.

According to the history shared from the Kenyon Snowden Multi-Cultural Center, the band was active from the 1850s to the early 1920s.

“Thomas and Ellen Snowden, who were the first Black couple to be married in Knox County, were former slaves who immigrated to Ohio in the 1820s and became successful landowners and farmers in the community of Clinton, north of Mount Vernon.

Snowden Family Band Credit: Submitted

Their seven children attended school and performed alongside them in the family band.”

A new initiative

When completed, the CVB will feature the utility box art project as a key component of its interactive Mount Vernon Art & History Trail.

Toth said this project is just the beginning of a new initiative designed to guide visitors through the city’s artistic and historical landmarks.

“Our plan is that by 2026, there will be a brand-new way to experience so many of our untold stories, historic gems and public art in downtown,” she said.