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It was very exciting to paint a mural and exhibit my art in Rock Hill because I grew up spending a lot of time with family in the city and surrounding countryside. My mural celebrates various aspects of Rock Hill’s industrial history while also sharing my philosophy of open-mindedness, creativity, and adaptive disruption to progress into the future. The community support for the project has been incredible. Several local students and artists volunteered to help on the mural’s lower portion, which allowed us to finish ahead of schedule. Brittany and Michael Kelly from Mercantile, whose second store will soon move into the building, were incredible hosts to me, my crew, and my family. I’d like to also give a special acknowledgment to Cathy Murphy for coordinating the project. Many individuals, organizations, and the city of Rock Hill joined forces to make this mural happen, and I’m very grateful for the collaborative effort it took to bring the mural and art show to life. Thanks to my crew Dan Flores, Nic Bowers, and Rob Zagula, for their hard work, and Jonathan Furlong for the photos and help on the mural.
-Shepard
Special thanks to all the generous individuals and organizations for making this project happen: Wade Fairey, Justin Smith, AJ Klenk, and Catalyst Capital Partners, Cathy Murphy, Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation through the Barre Mitchell Community Initiative Fund, Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation – Quality of Life Committee, Women’s Art Initiative, Arts Council of York County, Visit York County, Michael Gentry, Mercantile – Brittany and Michael Kelly, The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour.
Photos by Jonathan Furlong
