Silver lines have begun to crisscross the side of MODdisplays on East Market Street, attracting the eyes of passersby as they watch Downtown Harrisonburg’s latest mural come together. The funding for the growing street art scene in the Historic District can be attributed to the Arts Council of the Valley, which has been carrying out its mission of ameliorating the city’s buildings to reflect the sentiment that “the arts live in the heartbeat of our citizens.” 

Local artist Laura Thompson, whose work has contributed to the art scene of Harrisonburg, is the latest recipient of the Public Art Forward grant from the Arts Council. Awarded this funding in Spring 2023, she has since ventured into murals, a completely new medium for the longtime artist. Thompson has loved art since she was young, saying, “I’ve always been a very artsy person, a very crafty kid. I was always making things, creating little sculptures, building things, drawing things, painting things.”

  Thompson originally planned to major in English, though she entered her freshman year of college at James Madison University with an undeclared major. It wasn’t until she worked in Duke Hall as part of a federal work-study program that she realized art was both a feasible and fascinating career path. 

“Just being in there, and realizing how many different ways there were to pursue art was very eye opening. I realized all of a sudden that art was something I could pursue,” Thompson said. 

Thompson graduated college in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a certification in art education. A year out of college, she began what would become a 13 year-long career in art education, teaching students of all ages how to embrace their creative side. 

“I mainly taught middle school, and I still have a soft spot for middle school art students,” Thompson said. “Especially those who are really into it – they’re so impressionable, but they’re kind of coming into their own and have their own ideas. They’re really fun to work with.”

Thompson’s lengthy career provided her with expertise in multiple forms of media and how to work with others to develop their artistic skills, but eventually she wanted to try something new.

“Throughout that time , I was making and displaying art but I felt like I needed a change, so in 2017, I actually applied for a marketing position,” Thompson said. 

However, after six years in the corporate world, she began to feel the previously dormant creative spark flare in her once more. With newfound freedom coming out of the pandemic, Thompson made the decision to leave her corporate job and pursue a career as an independent artist. She opened her studio, Real Creative, in January 2023, and has since been creating and selling original oil paintings and watercolor prints. Though she does not have a brick-and-mortar shop, she sells her work online and supplies to several local boutiques and specialty stores, such as The Lady Jane.

Thompson has carried her knowledge of teaching into her new chapter as a freelance artist. In addition to selling her art, Thompson also hosts craft workshops for adults in Harrisonburg. She taglines her art classes as “stress free art classes for busy adults.”  She wants to put her students in an environment that strives and allows for creativity. 

“My art education background really did help with the community engagement piece of what I’m trying to do now. I really try to get out into the community and inspire people to be creative and to make something and do something that’s a little bit out of their wheelhouse, maybe learn a new skill and then show my art and hope that maybe people will like what I’m doing,” Thompson said.

Now, Thompson is taking her art career in a new direction. Starting any new medium can be a challenge for artists, especially one as large as a mural, but adapting to change is what Thompson has done all of her life. 

“I was definitely excited when I first found out we got the grant, but at that point it was like feet to the fire: ‘Let’s figure out how to make this happen,’” Thompson said. “That was a little nerve – wracking, but you just have to get past that and be brave and move forward.” 

Thompson reached out to Andre Shank, who soon became a mentor and partner to bounce ideas off of. Shank, who is based in Richmond, is an artist of multiple media but familiar in creating larger scale works of art such as murals. Shank also is the artist behind the Lucy Simms Mural located in Harrisonburg. 

“I am a huge believer that anyone who commits to a big project can do it. You just need support,” Thompson said.

There are multiple “easter eggs” with hidden meanings on the mural, further cultivating the uniqueness to not only the side of MODdisplays but to the downtown district as a whole. 

“There’s a bat that alludes to the fact they have had bats in their office that they have had to catch and release,” Thompson said. “There’s also the ducks, because in Harrisonburg, if you’ve driven around here at all, sometimes you get to a place in downtown and you have to park your car and wait for ducks to cross the road.”

Thompson has never been one to shy away from change, instead choosing to embrace it. “I think that [change] is the whole purpose of life, to have as many different experiences as possible. Until you have those vast experiences, there’s no way to know what you want.,” Thompson said. “Adaptability is just critical, I think. I am a huge believer that if you are somebody who likes challenges, you’re going to have to learn to be adaptable. If daily routines turn into the doldrums, if you just go in and do the same thing every day, then you’re not challenging yourself and you’re not adapting.”