Williston welcomed its latest Grum Project visiting artist to campus in December, and he left behind a lasting impression that will also inspire future Wildcats.

During his one-week residency, muralist Ryan Adams—along with help from Williston students—created a mural on the second floor of the Reed Campus Center, featuring the words “Williston Creates!” in the artwork.

Adams, based out of Portland, Maine, creates his murals in a brightly colored, geometric style. The effect creates a visually stunning piece of art while incorporating a theme or ideal in a subtle manner. He first developed this style more than 15 years ago when painting a mural for a restaurant in Maine, blending in the restaurant’s name to get around a town ordinance prohibiting billboards. His work now appears in places like the L.L. Bean and Nike headquarters, and the Baltimore Public Library.

“That [restaurant] was the first time I worked with the geometric flow of letters and came up with an idea,” said Adams. “Once I did it, I was like ‘this feels right.’ I got obsessed with the style from there.”

The Williston mural was designed by Adams, but the colors for the piece were not picked until he arrived. Speaking at an all-school assembly, Adams told the community about his artistic journey, then had students vote on one of three color palette options.

“Voting on the colors was pretty awesome,” he said. “At a place like this, it works out well because it was on the spot—you’ve gotta chose one of three, so which one are you picking? This was so immediate and I think there was enthusiasm behind a few of the options.”

The interactivity between artist and students continued in the painting of the mural itself. Adams began work on a Saturday morning, taping out each section of the mural and numbering each section. The numbering allowed any student to come in and know what color paint they needed to use, and where. By Tuesday, the piece was finished.

“I love when people can help with the mural, because it’s their environment—it’s their space,” Adams said. “I’ve had people come up to me and tell me that they painted one triangle on a piece. To see that effect and see that people have a sense of ownership over it is so cool.”

You can learn more about the Grum Project on our website. To learn more about Adams and his work, visit his website.