Ashley Greer- Artist Spotlight
If you’ve been around downtown Ruston lately, you might have noticed a new, colorful addition to one of the walls while driving or walking by. The newest mural in downtown, created by the talented Ashley Greer, reflects the aftermath of the powerful tornado that ripped through the city during late April. Not only is it a fun and vibrant scene to view, but it also has a deeper meaning. It’s dedicated not only to the city of Ruston as a whole, but also to the mother and son who were victims of the vicious storm.
As Ruston began to recoup and rebuilt after the devastation and destruction caused by the storm, the short yet powerful saying “Ruston Strong” quickly became a powerful, unifying slogan for the entire community. Inspiration for this mural comes from this quote, and not only provides another fun, artistic mural for the city of Ruston, but a positive message as well.
About 12x24 feet, the mural consists of delightful, bold colors, as well as interactive hand-painted designs such as a bouquet of balloons that viewers can pretend to hole while posing for a picture. It’s located in downtown Ruston on the eastern wall of JACO Federal Credit Union.
So the next time you’re out and about in downtown Ruston, make sure to swing by and check out Ruston’s newest public artwork, appropriately named: “The Rainbow After the Storm.”
There is a great video on the My ArkLaMiss webpage featuring artist Ashley Greer and Main Street Director Tori Davis speaking about the inspiration and process of creating the mural.
-Victoria Arnold
https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/local-artist-makes-ruston-strong-permanent-through-downtown-mural/