Transylvania University professor Grace Ramsey and some of her most talented students recently transformed a drab concrete courtyard at Lexington Friends Preschool into a colorful mural celebrating Kentucky’s natural beauty and folk traditions.
Through the support of university grants, the summer project is a testament to the power of collaboration and perseverance.
Ramsey, whose son attends the preschool, was approached by the director about sprucing up the space. “I was immediately interested because I’ve been wanting to make a mural for a while,” she said.
She recruited rising sophomores Sophia Schmer, Lucy Cohen and Myles Moore — all from last fall’s Painting I class — to join in on the project.
They used a special mural paint designed for outdoor longevity. As for Ramsey’s design, it’s fun and vibrant for the young preschoolers. “I wanted it to have a simplistic, graphic kind of feel — but also a folksy, traditional feeling,” she said. Spanning multiple panels, the artwork features native Kentucky flowers and patterns reminiscent of quilts. “I wanted it to have roots in Kentucky but also feel fresh and playful.”
Challenges arose as with all new endeavors, especially from Kentucky’s unpredictable summer weather including a heat wave and a lot of rain, which made paint on a small part of the wall near the ground peel. “We had to keep figuring out what to do — scraping it off, repainting it. It helped me learn how to adapt,” Cohen said.
Schmer agreed. “There’s one thing to have a lot of ideas, but then the logistics of it is also a process that you have to enjoy,” she said. “Doing a mural is just like an overblown version of that. It was a really good experience [seeing] the relationship between the artwork and the actual process of making it.”
For Moore, the project fulfilled a longtime goal. “I’ve always dreamed of doing murals and working in a large-scale environment for art. It was a great opportunity to test if I can even do that, and it’s made me realize I’d want to take up every single opportunity that comes my way.”
Ramsey, who typically paints solo, also pointed out how rewarding the collaborative dynamic turned out to be. “It was nice to have a team. We’d look up and all the stuff would have gotten done because there were so many of us working,” she said. “Everyone was really competent and did a great job.”
The professor pointed out how even the grant application process offered valuable lessons. “So much of making things happen is filling out boring paperwork and grants and writing about your ideas and budgeting,” said Ramsey, who teaches studio art. “That part of the experience was valuable for everyone because it’s part of the whole deal.”
As a painter without much prior mural experience, the four-week effort will also help Ramsey build her portfolio, perhaps leading to future public art projects. “It was the perfect opportunity because it’s not super public, so it was a nice little no-stress first mural project.”
She plans to channel the experience into a May term mural painting course (and maybe eventually get one painted on campus). “My hope is for these mural classes to be student led in terms of design,” she said. “I’m kind of there to help with the execution and guiding best practices.”
As for the future of the Lexington Friends mural space, the preschool has received a grant to plant a garden to complement the impact of the artwork.
“I feel really proud of what we accomplished,” Ramsey said.
