AMHOF upgrades lobby with $5K grant
TUSCUMBIA — Portraits of inductees into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame for years were prominently displayed against a red background on the east wall inside the lobby.
If you didn’t recognize their faces, plaques told you who they were, but not where they were from.
Cecilia Brumley, financial coordinator for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, said a $5,000 grant from the Resource Conservation & Development Office funded a project to provide visitors more information about the inductees.
Brumley said the money was used to create a mural formed from custom wallpaper that features the state of Alabama with stars to depict the hometowns of the inductees.
“People didn’t care when they were inducted,” she said. “They wanted to know where they were from.”
The names of the inductees are listed next to the state. The state and list are superimposed over a background with faded photos of various inductees.
“We believe the new front lobby improves our guests’ experience by telling a visual story of where each inductee is from along with the beautiful portraits and nameplates identifying each person,” Interim Director Kelly Flippo Montgomery said. “We are so pleased for people to come and enjoy the rich musical heritage in a comfortable, clean, and attractive environment.”
Montgomery said several other improvements have been made to the facilities grounds.
“So far, we have fixed the fountain, power washed the grounds, cleaned all canopies, landscaped, repainted the front parking lot, and remodeled our front lobby,” Montgomery said. “We are very excited about improving our patrons’ experiences here at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.”
Brumley said the lobby work has been ongoing since the grant was acquired about two years ago. She said the grant covered the cost of the project.
Severalmembersof Local 1293 International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) painted the lobby walls before the new wallpaper mural was installed. They also removed the old red wall covering, patched some water damaged areas, then prepped, primed and painted the walls.
“It’s great to see members working with the Alabama Music Hall of Fame,” IUPAT member Ralph Thompson said. “It is more than just a museum, it’s a living tribute to how Alabama’s people and places have shaped the heartbeat of American music. It connects past legends with future talent and keeps the spirit of Muscle Shoals alive.”
Thompson and Local 1293 Apprenticeship Coordinator Josh Thompson, Business Representative Alan Speck, and apprentices Ivan Martinez, Hunter McCannaly, Liana Conaser and Barbra Hester volunteered their time to help with the renovations.
Thompson, a fan of Muscle Shoals music, said it took about a week to complete the painting.
