With a donation from the Alleghany County Arts Council, “Art We There Yet?” came to Sparta and the “Sparta Mural” was created.

"Art We There Yet?" is a project to create art and music inspired by the Americas, celebrating shared humanity and giving back to under served communities along the way. The project was started by José Luis Vílchez, a fine art painter, photographer, and musician from Nicaragua and the USA, and Cora Rose, a singer-songwriter and producer from the USA.

Both José and Cora Rose are artists with a passion for understanding the world through the lens of their art. They have converted a used school bus into an art and recording studio on wheels, and they are driving 30,000 miles across 23 countries of North, Central, and South America.

Through photography, film, audio recordings, painting, and public art, they aim to document and share the diverse sights and sounds of our world. Their mission is to create art that highlights the diversity, challenges, and shared humanity of people across the globe. This mural was a true community group effort/project that was led by José and Cora with the participation of many members of the Alleghany County Arts Council Board for the actual painting.