New Melody Tent Mural Honors the Past While Celebrating the Future
Brendan Nicolan (from left), JoJo Sader, Kianna Hicks, Joe Diggs , Amelia Stoots, Larsen Wake, and Elliot Chapman worked together on the Cape Cod Melody Tent Mural (Photo by Julia Cumes)
August 17, 2026 (Cape Cod, MA) – Since 1950, the Cape Cod Melody Tent has attracted some of the top acts in music, comedy, acting, dance, performing, and athletics, creating special memories for anyone who has ever attended a show there. Over its 76-year history, the iconic Hyannis venue has served as a model for the power that arts have in strengthening community.
Since May, the Melody Tent has partnered with the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod on a mural that reflects that power, its storied history, and the impact it has had on the region. The piece was designed by Joe Diggs of Osterville, the Arts Foundation’s 2024 Artist of the Year, along with five local high school students — Sturgis West graduates Elliot Chapman (Amherst College), 18, of Sandwich and Larsen Wake (Rhode Island School of Design), 18, of Centerville; Barnstable High School graduate Kianna Hicks (Westfield State College), 18, of West Barnstable; and Sturgis West seniors JoJo Sader, 16, of Centerville and Amelia Stoots, 17, of West Barnstable.
Brendan Nicolan of Plymouth, who recently graduated from Cape Cod Community College and will be continuing his education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, assisted Diggs in mentoring the students in creating the mural, which features everything from singer-songwriter Johnny Cash to wrestler Andre the Giant to seals and lobsters playing musical instruments to actor, comedian, and pianist Victor Borge under the iconic tent.
A celebration commemorating the mural will be held at the Melody Tent on Wednesday, August 26th, 6:30-7:30 PM.
“We are proud to have supported this project with the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and Joe Diggs, and were deeply moved hearing what it meant to the young artists. They created a remarkable piece that has made our venue more vibrant for years to come,” said Ross Roncelli, General Manager of the Melody Tent.
“This project is more than just the finished piece. It’s about professional artists working alongside students, who have a passion for the arts, in creating a mural that will be enjoyed by the countless patrons of the Melody Tent,” said Arts Foundation Executive Director Julie Wake. “This partnership has served as a great example of how organizations can work together to showcase the power of arts for the greater good. We hope to make connections with other like-minded businesses that share our values around making art that is accessible to everyone.”
Chapman, a musician who was involved in Sturgis’s theatrical productions from the technical side, drew parallels to the collaborative nature of this project with his other forays into art. “For me, music is more than just music theory or composing music myself. It is more about the performative aspects of it and having fun with my friends on stage. Those kinds of experiences where you’re getting to share art and creating it together with others is what brings me a lot of joy,” he said. “I think this project is very similar. We have a bunch of different people with different ideas, and we get to create something together and have fun with it. This is what makes art important to me — having fun with people and sharing this experience together.”
Last year, Hicks attended her first show at the Melody Tent when she saw The Broken Hearts, a Tom Petty tribute band, perform live. She crossed off her second this summer when she saw another tribute act: The Fab Four, paying homage to her favorite band, The Beatles.
“I hope when people see the mural, they really see that as students, we do really care about what we’re doing, and we care about the art we’re making. I hope they see that in the final product,” she said.
Kianna Hicks of West Barnstable, works on the Melody Tent mural in May.
As someone who has used art as a form of self-expression, she was grateful for the opportunity to “get out of my comfort zone,” with this project. “It helped my self-esteem to be able to do something with my art that wasn’t just for an assignment or making drawings for myself.”
“This has been a great experience,” said Stoots. “I feel like we’re being taken seriously which is nice. …I think the coolest part of the project is the opportunity for so many people to see my art. I’m not used to that.”
Diggs, who has created public murals across the Cape, said the best part of this project was being able to work alongside the next generation while imparting important lessons to them.
One of those lessons? “That art can be fun. This stuff can be fun,” he said. “This project left me with a little hope for the future. Not that this is going to change the world, but if it can change one person, if it does that, it is good, really good. It changed me because I learned from them.”
He has a close connection to the Melody Tent as his brother, State Representative Kip Diggs, competed there twice as a professional boxer. The nostalgia that the Melody Tent elicits for him was embedded into the mural. “I hope people feel that, and they feel just joy and happiness when they see it,” he said.
This was the first public art project the Arts Foundation created through Arts Access since the program launched in 2019. The program is focused on connecting the next generation to meaningful arts activities that build confidence, foster connection, nurture curiosity, and give young people a platform to express who they are.
But too often, the cost of access—transportation, tuition, supplies—puts these opportunities out of reach. Arts Access removes those barriers, one experience at a time.
Interested in partnering with the Arts Foundation on a similar project in the future? Contact Julie Wake at jwake@artsfoundation.org.