If you have ever driven by a breathtaking painting on The Rock and wondered, “Who painted that?” chances are it was Chloe Peterson, a senior at the University of Tennessee.
Peterson initially started painting in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, with her first project being her bedroom walls.
Peterson spends her free time sharing her creativity and artistry with her community.
“My parents were like, ‘Let’s just go paint your room,’ and then I did, and my parents realized I had a knack for it,” Peterson said.
Her high school quickly recognized her talent, and she was able to create some pieces for it. By the time she came to UT, she knew she wanted to paint The Rock at least once.
What started as a one-time event turned into an entire football season, and now Peterson has painted The Rock more than 25 times.
“It was one of those things where at first it was a hobby and then it became a work experience,” Peterson said.
Although she owns her own business as a mural artist, Peterson is actually a kinesiology major and plans to attend school for occupational therapy.
“I realized I didn’t want to do it full-time for the rest of my life,” Peterson said. “I don’t want to look back on things and regret it, so I decided to keep it as a hobby.”
Peterson gets paid for some of her work through partnerships and was awarded a service scholarship from the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs.
Her most recent mural was for the Baker School, commemorating what would have been the late Sen. Baker’s 100th birthday. She chose green, white and yellow to match Baker’s campaign colors from when he ran more than 60 years ago.
Sometimes clients request specific images and text, while other times Peterson has complete creative direction. She used to hand-paint her murals but now uses spray paint to save time and resources.
Peterson said her design process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of weeks. She draws inspiration from asking herself what she thinks her fellow students would like to see.
You may recall seeing the mural of Davy Crockett’s skeleton standing in front of a barren sunset-orange forest over Halloween weekend. This was Peterson’s work to celebrate the rare event of a dark-mode night game falling on Halloween.
“I was like, Smokey? Did that. Football player? Did that. Let’s put Davy Crockett on there,” Peterson said. “I try to stick to a school-themed idea, or at least do something that’s been asked of me.”
After she comes up with her ideas, the painting itself can take up to a couple of days.
Peterson said she doesn’t have a favorite mural she’s ever created, but said that the Davy Crockett skeleton has been her most impressive.
“I think that my most eventful times have always been challenging games,” Peterson said.
For the Alabama vs. Tennessee game last year, Peterson did a split-face mural for SEC Nation that included Smokey and Alabama’s mascot, Big Al. She said that people were upset and didn’t appreciate that she included an opponent’s mascot.
Peterson said that although it was one of her favorite pieces due to its complex imagery, she still ended up revising it to address what people didn’t like.
“I was like, I just spent 10 hours working on that, but The Rock is a free space,” Peterson said. “So you know what? I just went back and fixed it.”
The Rock brings positive interactions that help share the love for the UT tradition.
“Most people are quite positive and excited to see us working on the rock,” Shay Furey, a friend of Chloe Peterson’s who helps paint the rock, said. “Often, people will come back to see when the rock is finished and take pictures with it.”
Furey and Peterson met in a physics class and have since become good friends. Furey said that one day, Peterson asked for her help painting a mural, and now she assists whenever and wherever she can.
“My favorite interactions, though, are getting to hear guesses from passersby as to who or what we’re painting,” Furey said. “It’s funny to hear what people come up with.”
These exchanges are what make The Rock such an integral part of UT culture. Whether stopping to take a picture or simply admiring the art, it is a connecting point for students, staff, parents and visitors alike.
Although Peterson is graduating in December, she said she will come back to paint on special occasions if asked.
“I mean, this is coming from someone who is the third girl to take this on,” Peterson said, referring to Peyton Miller and Kate Huffman, who each led the tradition of game-day mural painting during their own times on campus. Peterson hopes that someone will come along to continue it after her as well.
“I hope somebody picks up the torch and says, ‘you know what, The Rock does need to look good for football games,’” Peterson said.
With a couple of cans of spray paint and the support of a loving community behind her, Peterson has made a lasting impact on campus. She continues to inspire game-day spirit, promote unity and celebrate UT’s history through her creative work.
“The Lord gave me a rock to stand in front of, and to support myself,” Peterson said. “Not only that, he gave me a community that is surrounding this rock, and that is something that resonates with me strongly.”
You can find more of Peterson’s work on her Instagram page or through her website.
