Muralist Stacy Ridgeway recently visited Long County High School to help students paint a mural on a wall in the school’s gym.  

Ridgeway worked with Melissa Lambert’s art class and showed the students the process for creating a mural. He also gave the students hints on how to get their own artwork out into the community and how to create their own business.

“My job is not just to paint a mural, but it is to motivate students and encourage them to be the best that they can be,” he said.

Ridgeway, who is based in New York City, founded Mural Mural on the Wall in 1986 as an art teacher in Atlanta. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1980 and a master’s in 1985.

While teaching, he began sharing murals with the world and painting school mascots and logos. Ridgeway estimates he has painted 40,000 murals. He said the murals are not just organized paint on a wall, but are created to instill school pride and provide memories for the students.