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Marshall University announces new public mural project at Smith Music Hall

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Two-story brick building beside roadway
The west facing side of the Smith Music Hall will be the site of a new public art mural.
Funding has been secured, in part through the National Endowment for the Arts, for a new public mural to be installed on the west face of Evelyn Holbrook Smith Music Hall at Marshall University.

The project is a collaborative effort involving the School of Art & Design, the College of Arts & Media, the Marshall Public Art Committee, and Marshall Marketing & Communications, which will oversee the public engagement process.

Renowned muralist Nichole Westfall, the 2024 West Virginia Governor’s Artist of the Year, will lead the project. Westfall is known for her bold, whimsical, Appalachian-inspired style and artwork that encourages communities to let “joy thrive.”

The mural will highlight the transformative impact of the arts and public art, celebrate Marshall evolution from a Normal School to a modern university and reflect the institution’s Marshall for All initiative as well as its upcoming 2037 Bicentennial.

Installation of the mural is anticipated for late April or early May 2026.

Public comment on the project is open through February 6, 2026 at https://www.marshall.edu/mural/

Media Contact

Leah C. Payne
Director, University Communications
Marketing & Communications