VICKSBURG SEAWALL MURAL BY VICKSBURG ARTIST MARTHA FERRIS - Her statement about this art: In 2001 the city of Vicksburg invited artists to submit designs for the city's first public art project, a 57-foot long mural along the downtown seawall. The seawall was built years ago, after the disastrous floods of 1927, to protect Vicksburg from the high waters of the Mississippi River. Directly behind the wall lie the backwaters of the river, and directly in front lie the railroad tracks and the street which runs north to become Highway 61, the famous Blues Highway. These three important arteries of trade, commerce, and flight -- the river, the railroad, the highway -- have had a tremendous impact on the history of Vicksburg, and I wanted to create a design that would celebrate this rich and varied history. Centuries ago, Jewish peddlers fleeing persecution in Europe migrated north from New Orleans to settle in the cities and towns springing up along the river's banks. The railroad provided gainful employment to black men as porters at a time when decent jobs were scarce, particularly for African Americans. These men helped form the backbone of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, one of the most powerful and effective unions in the country. Finally, Highway 61, which led straight through the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to the big cities in the North, became the chosen route of African Americans migrating out of the South in pursuit of a better life. Times have changed, but river, rail and road activity remain vibrant. I wanted my mural to celebrate the busy, rich diversity of life along the river, from swamplands to catfish farms to pecan groves to cotton fields to casino boats to the harbor project, and to convey something of the dynamic rhythm of life along the Mississippi. For a better view of this art go to www.marthaferris.com/index.php?action=vi ewartworkdetail&artworkId=2&displayText= Vicksburg+Riverfront+Mural