Jon murrill, Muralist

Mural artist Jon Murrill sat in front of his Symposium session, with two capless spray paint cans for students to inspect. Capless, because “I don’t trust you guys,” he joked during the last session. Murrill is a mural artist in Roanoke who has made street art on the greenway a community project and has assisted international artists with some of our most iconic murals, including the Mountain Climber by the highway. He shares how he transitioned from a full-time job at Patrick Henry to a street artist, saying he tried it out one day and fell in love. He also couldn’t decide which of his works he liked the most, but he is especially fond of the ones he made with other people. He looks up to other, more talented artists, and learns new styles from watching them work. His current project is a series of murals called Lady Appalachia, the main figures based on some of his friends. ​