Installed in 2014, Confluence is a large-scale mural commissioned by the NorthShore Merchants Collective, designed to reflect the diverse experiences, connections, and shared history of Chattanooga’s NorthShore community.
The mural’s composition layers iconic local landmarks – the Walnut Street Bridge, Coolidge Park Fountain, and Carousel – alongside human figures that symbolize the vibrancy of this unique neighborhood. Central to the piece is a figure of a girl playing in the fountain, a visual metaphor for the joy, renewal, and community spirit that define the area. The Tennessee River, depicted as cool blue lines weaving through the design, serves as both a physical and symbolic lifeline, connecting the mural’s warm, energetic flanks and grounding the composition in the geography that shaped the city’s growth.
LaJeunesse’s painting entitled Confluence layers familiar NorthShore landmarks and imagery to create a vibrant and colorful composition celebrating the many ways people live and play on the NorthShore.— WUTC Radio, Chattanooga
LaJeunesse created Confluence using PolyTab – a nonwoven, parachute-like fabric that allows for precise, studio-based painting before on-site installation. This innovative method offers significant advantages, including reduced weather delays, safer working conditions, and increased creative control. The resulting multi-panel mural maintains the textural depth and longevity of traditional mural techniques while allowing for a more detailed and dynamic composition.
As a public artwork, Confluence embodies the collective identity of the NorthShore community, celebrating the diverse ways residents live, work, and connect. It serves as a lasting tribute to the area’s cultural vitality and its role as a hub of creativity, commerce, and connection within Chattanooga.