Auburn-Opelika Tourism Mural | Opelika, Alabama
Celebrating Community Through Public Art
Alabama mural artist Banks Compton created this community-focused mural in partnership with Auburn-Opelika Tourism in Opelika, Alabama.
Designed to reflect the character of the area, the project combined site-specific public art with community participation. Local homeschool students were invited to learn about the mural process, hear from Banks about working as a professional artist, and contribute to the creation of the artwork.
The result is a mural rooted not only in its location, but in the community that helped bring it to life.
Client: Auburn-Opelika Tourism
Location: Opelika Chamber of Commerce, Opelika, Alabama
Artist: Banks Compton
Project: Community Mural
Artwork: Interior public mural
Community Engagement: Local homeschool students
Completed: 2024
Project at a Glance
Bringing Students Into the Process
Community participation became an important part of the project.
Local homeschool students were invited to visit the mural site, learn about the process of creating large-scale public artwork, and hear Banks speak about his experience working professionally as a mural artist.
The students were then able to participate directly in the painting process.
Giving young people an opportunity to contribute to permanent public artwork changes the way they experience the finished mural. Instead of simply seeing a piece of art in their community, they can point to the wall and know that they helped create it.
A Mural for Auburn-Opelika
Located inside the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, the mural was designed to introduce visitors to some of the landmarks, traditions, and stories that give Auburn and Opelika their distinct identities.
The mural brings together recognizable imagery inspired by Auburn and Opelika, Alabama, creating a colorful celebration of the character, traditions, and history of the two communities.
At the center of the composition is Auburn University's iconic Samford Hall clock tower, surrounded by an eagle in flight and streams of toilet paper referencing the beloved tradition of rolling Toomer's Corner.
Railroad imagery celebrates Opelika's history and identity as a railroad town, while the fountain, flowering landscape, and surrounding natural elements help connect the different landmarks into one continuous scene.
Rather than depicting the area as a literal landscape, the mural brings these familiar symbols together into an imaginative composition where local history, traditions, architecture, and nature overlap.
Tourism, Place, and Public Art
Murals have increasingly become part of how communities create memorable public spaces.
A successful mural can become a landmark, photo destination, piece of local storytelling, or unexpected discovery for someone exploring a downtown or neighborhood.
For tourism organizations, public art provides another way to highlight the character of a destination while creating experiences that visitors can encounter outside traditional attractions.
The Auburn-Opelika project demonstrates how a mural can serve both purposes: adding permanent artwork to the community while making the process itself an opportunity for local engagement.
Creating Murals With the Community
Banks' approach to community murals begins with listening.
Local stories, landmarks, history, natural environments, and the people connected to a location can all help shape the final design. Depending on the project, community members may also participate through workshops, conversations, public painting events, or youth programming.
The goal is to maintain the quality and cohesion of a professionally designed mural while creating meaningful opportunities for the people who will ultimately live alongside the artwork to become part of its story.
About Banks Compton
Banks Compton is an Alabama mural artist and RISD alumnus creating large-scale murals and public art throughout Alabama and across the United States.
His work combines storytelling, nature, local culture, history, and community engagement to create site-specific artwork reflecting the people and places it represents.
Banks has worked with tourism organizations, municipalities, businesses, libraries, schools, public institutions, and community groups to create murals ranging from large-scale landmarks to collaborative public-art projects.
Looking for a Mural Artist in Auburn, Opelika, or Alabama?
Banks works with tourism organizations, cities, businesses, developers, schools, and community groups throughout Auburn, Opelika, Alabama, and the Southeast.
Projects can incorporate local history, community stories, youth participation, workshops, and public painting opportunities alongside professionally designed and completed mural artwork.
