Gulf Coast Mural Artist
Custom Murals Across Alabama, Florida & Mississippi
Banks Compton is a Gulf Coast mural artist based in Foley, Alabama, creating large-scale murals and public art throughout coastal Alabama, Northwest Florida, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
From libraries and downtown districts to businesses, schools, restaurants, tourism destinations, and community spaces, Banks creates site-specific murals inspired by the people, landscapes, wildlife, history, and culture of the Gulf Coast.
With projects stretching from Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama, to Pensacola, Florida, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, Banks brings experience working with cities, businesses, institutions, national brands, schools, and community organizations throughout the region.
Foley Community Library | Foley, Alabama
Banks created approximately 1,500 square feet of murals and a sculptural reading tree for the children's section of the Foley Community Library.
The storybook-inspired environment features whimsical animals, nature, local references, and hidden details designed to encourage exploration and imagination. Banks also used skills developed while creating Mardi Gras floats in New Orleans to construct the three-dimensional reading tree at the center of the space.
Featured Gulf Coast Mural Projects
Merchants Paper Co. | Pensacola, Florida
Created during the 2023 Pensacola Mural Fest, Banks' mural for Merchants Paper Co. celebrates the longtime Pensacola business through a colorful, retro-inspired composition featuring a vintage delivery truck, paper products, camellias, and the family's golden retriever, Piper.
The mural received 1st Place People's Choice at the 2023 Pensacola Mural Fest.
Tambo's Surf Shack | Gulf Shores, Alabama
Created for Tambo's Surf Shack and Surf Skate Coffee, these interior murals bring the energy of the Alabama Gulf Coast indoors through oversized waves, sunsets, skateboarding, surfing, and coffee imagery.
The murals wrap through the back of the surf and skate shop, helping create an immersive environment connected to Gulf Shores' local surf culture.
Scranton's Restaurant | Pascagoula, Mississippi
Banks created this downtown Pascagoula mural around imagery inspired by the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including great blue herons, water, waves, sunlight, and coastal vegetation.
The adjoining “Welcome to Downtown Pascagoula” message allows the artwork to serve both as a mural for Scranton's Restaurant and as a colorful landmark encouraging visitors to explore downtown.
Murals on the Alabama Gulf Coast
Banks' largest concentration of Gulf Coast mural projects can be found throughout Baldwin and Mobile counties, including Foley, Gulf Shores, Fairhope, Summerdale, Mobile, and surrounding communities.
As a mural artist based in Foley, Banks has developed artwork for libraries, tourism destinations, businesses, educational facilities, youth organizations, and private clients throughout coastal Alabama.
Projects include the Foley Community Library, Downtown OWA, Tambo's Surf Shack, Baldwin County recycling and education facility, Strickland Youth Center, Rotary Youth Club in Fairhope, and several other public and private commissions.
The projects range from whimsical children's environments and environmental education to commercial branding, community storytelling, and interactive public art.
Murals in Pensacola & Northwest Florida
Banks' work extends east along the Gulf Coast into Pensacola and Northwest Florida.
His Pensacola projects include an award-winning mural created for Merchants Paper Co. during the Pensacola Mural Fest, a monarch butterfly and pollinator mural created with students at the School of Liberal Arts, and a temporary public-art installation created for CUBED in Museum Plaza.
Together, these projects demonstrate several different approaches to public art—from commercial storytelling and mural festivals to educational artwork and temporary installations.
Murals on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Banks also travels west along the Gulf Coast for mural projects in Mississippi.
His mural at Scranton's Restaurant in downtown Pascagoula celebrates the city's coastal identity through great blue herons, water, sunlight, and bold decorative imagery while helping create a recognizable landmark for the downtown district.
Banks is available for additional mural projects throughout Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, and other Mississippi Gulf Coast communities.
Murals for Gulf Coast Businesses
A mural can turn an ordinary commercial wall into something people recognize, photograph, and associate with a business.
Banks creates custom murals for restaurants, hotels, retail spaces, tourism destinations, offices, developments, entertainment venues, and other commercial properties throughout the Gulf Coast.
Projects can be designed around a company's brand, the history of a business, the surrounding community, or an entirely original concept developed specifically for the space.
Interactive elements and photo opportunities can also be incorporated into a design to encourage visitors to engage with and share the artwork.
Murals Inspired by the Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast has a visual identity unlike anywhere else in the country.
Waterways, wetlands, wildlife, maritime traditions, tourism, historic downtowns, festivals, and outdoor recreation all contribute to the character of communities stretching across Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.
Banks frequently incorporates those local elements into his artwork. His Gulf Coast murals have included pelicans, herons, alligators, sea turtles, butterflies, native flowers, wetlands, waves, hot-air balloons, kayaks, surf culture, local architecture, and community history.
Rather than applying the same style or imagery to every wall, each mural begins with the location and the story the client wants the artwork to tell.
Public & Community Murals
Banks works with cities, Main Street organizations, nonprofits, schools, libraries, tourism organizations, and community groups to create public artwork that reflects the places where it lives.
These projects often begin with conversations about what makes a community distinctive. Local history, natural environments, landmarks, industries, traditions, and stories can then become part of the finished artwork.
Some projects also incorporate student painting, community participation, educational programming, or interactive elements, allowing residents to become part of the mural's creation.
A Gulf Coast Artist Who Travels
Banks is based in Foley, Alabama, placing him within easy reach of communities throughout the central Gulf Coast.
He regularly travels for mural projects and works with clients throughout Alabama and across the United States.
For Gulf Coast projects, Banks serves communities throughout coastal Alabama, Northwest Florida, and coastal Mississippi, including Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fairhope, Mobile, Pensacola, Perdido Key, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, and surrounding areas.
Projects outside these areas are also welcome.
About Banks Compton
Banks Compton is an Alabama-based mural artist, public artist, and Rhode Island School of Design alumnus creating large-scale artwork throughout Alabama and across the United States.
His background includes building large-scale Mardi Gras floats in New Orleans and working in custom event décor in New York City before establishing his independent mural practice.
Banks' work is rooted in storytelling, nature, local culture, and site-specific design. Whether working with a small coastal community, school, library, business, or major organization, his process begins by listening to the client and understanding the people and place the artwork will represent.
His murals can now be found across 10 states, with an especially strong concentration of projects throughout Alabama and the Gulf Coast.
Start a Gulf Coast Mural Project
Looking for a mural artist for a project on the Gulf Coast?
Banks works with businesses, cities, schools, libraries, developers, tourism destinations, organizations, and private clients to create original murals designed specifically for their spaces.
Projects begin with a conversation about the wall, location, goals, imagery, and story you would like the artwork to communicate.