MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A California artist who has participated in community paint projects in Memphis has offered to create a mural of Tyre Nichols.

Karen Golightly, the director of Paint Memphis, said Louran Mikhail is a veteran who paints a lot of political murals and felt strongly about painting one in honor of Nichols.

“He just really felt like this is something that is making national news, and we really need to address Tyre’s case and the systematic issues of racism in police and across our country,” said Golightly.

Paint Memphis organizes paint festivals every year in the city. During the events, 150 volunteer artists locally and from across the country transform vacant and occupied buildings in Memphis into colorful works of art.

An artist works on the Paint Memphis project in Downtown Memphis in 2021. (Photo by David Royer)
 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in 2018

“Every year, it’s around forty to fifty thousand square feet of mural space,” said Golightly. “Last year, we were in the Broad Avenue Arts District. So, if you go up and down Hollywood and Broad and Scott, you will see the murals we did.”

Golightly said they are working on finalizing the location for the Tyre Nichols mural but said work could begin as early as this weekend.

“We will need some more paint for him some spray paint for him when he gets into town,” Golightly said.

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