Student artists bring their talents to Greyline Station with an immersive mural

A 100-foot collaborative mural is transforming the interior of Greyline Station, thanks to students in the School of Art and Visual Studies' Public Art class.

The project began when marketplace leader Todd Needham approached Lee Ann Paynter, senior lecturer and class instructor, seeking designs for their large interior space that hosts many different events - from the Lexington Farmer's Market to pickleball, and other unique offerings such as the Lexington Vintage Festival. Greyline selected concepts from three lead artists: Megan Christian, Marissa Talbert, and Ruby Sullivan, who collaborated with Greyline leadership, brothers Chad and Todd Needham to bring the vision to life.

The Public Art course gives students the opportunity to use their creative voice in many ways.  At the heart of the class is the opportunity for students to take their artistic practice out of the studio space and into the public realm, making work both on a larger scale and offering them the opportunity to focus on topics that they care about.  They examine various forms of public art techniques through research, readings and hands-on projects that culminate in individual and group efforts throughout the semester. Since the classes’ first offering in 2018 the scope of student work has ranged from indoor and outdoor murals to performance pieces, and from smaller scale more subtle art interventions that raise questions, to larger community engaged installations.  

The Greyline mural integrates work from all 15 students of the class. Megan Christian, digital media design major from Georgetown, Ky., was proud to be one of the lead artists whose work is now on view for the public to enjoy.

"This overall experience has been indescribably valuable," Christian explained. "The prospect of portraying such a large display of our own design was unimaginable in the beginning, but we discovered that virtually anything is possible through self-confidence and fostered creativity. The design process was incredibly rewarding, and utilizing digital media design within the creation process made this multi-media project a dream to work on. Seeing the design become tangible, a towering 16-feet tall spanning across three sections of wall, this project is a glaring representation of dreams coming true."

"It is one design that sweeps across three walls kind of immersing the viewer in the scene," Paynter explained. "In this class students always hope to take part in a large-scale mural. This has been a huge project for my students, and we are all extremely grateful to Todd and Chad at Greyline Station for this fantastic opportunity. Throughout the progress of this work the students have learned about process, teamwork and commitment while getting to create a vibrant work of art that will bring color and collective joy to the Lexington community for a long time. I’m so proud of them!” 

Paynter expressed gratitude to Perspective Paints, a local Lexington business, which has supported this and previous mural projects for the Public Art class..

Marissa Talbert, an art studio major from Lexington, Ky., calls the mural a life-changing experience.

"I’ve always wanted to make a mural and starting with one as large as Greyline Station is amazing," Talbert said. "I’ve been embracing the fun and excitement as well as the stress that comes with this mural. The conversations with people passing by has been one of the best parts of creating this mural. Seeing how excited other people are about something you make is a life-changing experience."

After weeks of planning and painting, the mural will be unveiled Thursday, November 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at a free public reception at Greyline Station on Lexington's north side, 101 West Loudon Avenue.

Greyline Station is a dynamic public marketplace and mixed-use facility where many local small businesses thrive in the almost 100-year-old building, including retail stores, dining, a radio station and event space are all housed in the one-time bus shed. 

The UK School of Art and Visual Studies, part of the  offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of art studio, art history and visual studies, art education, curatorial studies and digital media design.