CLIO — The Board of Directors has selected Adam Schrimmer of Blank Canvas Mural Company to design and present an educational and historical mural for Clio, Mayor Adam Pate announced in a statement released to the press this week.
Pate said seven applicants applied for the mural project, but Schrimmer alone checked off all the qualification boxes for the position. According to the mayor, Schrimmer’s professional portfolio demonstrates his ability to design and paint the type of mural Clio needs, including work on the required brick surfaces.
Schrimmer requested and facilitated an Aug. 1 meeting with the Board of Directors, the Beautification Committee and committee members to discuss his experience and desire to be Clio’s chosen muralist. After the meeting, Pate guided Schrimmer on a tour of downtown Clio to help him ‘get a feel’ for the small town.
“We are looking forward to working with Adam to help us share historical education about Clio, SC through a mural,” Pate said in the statement.
The mural project is being funded through the Rebuild Clio Economic Development Foundation Inc., the 501(c)(3) division of the Town of Clio. Pate said the town welcomes tax-deductible donations to help fund the project and said supporters may contribute through the project’s GoFundMe campaign on the town of Clio Facebook page.
Getting to know Schrimmer
Before launching his Greenville-based mural practice, Schrimmer built a foundation in illustration and graphic design. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., and began his career working in illustration and graphic design in Miami.
“I have been making art for as long as I can remember,” Schimmer’s artist statement reads to the S.C. Arts Commission. “Aside from something I was good at, it was also a place of security for me. Making art helped me in many situations, especially when words failed. Art was the overflow for my emotions — the outlet for energy that needed a home.”
Schrimmer and his family moved to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2011. Four years later, he founded Blank Canvas Mural Company, where he now serves as owner and lead artist.
Now a recognized member of the Greenville and Upstate South Carolina arts community, Schrimmer creates murals through Blank Canvas Mural Company and shares art instruction as a SmartArts Teaching Artist. Additionally, he serves on the City of Greenville’s Art in Public Places Commission, helping raise awareness of public art.
Community engagement is central to Schrimmer’s work. His mural projects are designed to brighten communities, schools and neighborhoods, and examples of his work appear at One Miami and Vivo Living Apartments in Florida; Facebook offices in North Carolina; and South Carolina sites including Michelin, Fluor Field, Aloft Hotels, Hampton Station, Poe West, Ally Coffee, Birds Fly South, Wofford College, Christ Church Episcopal School, Goodwill Industries and Shriners Children’s Greenville. Blank Canvas also partners closely with schools to give students hands-on art-making experiences through artist-in-residence programs.
Beyond his mural work, Schrimmer remains involved in Greenville’s broader creative community. He has been invited to speak for groups and events including Greenville Women Giving, the South Carolina Arts Educators Conference, the South Carolina Governor’s School and the Community Built Association Conference.
According to the Blank Canvas Mural Company website, the company serves several South Carolina regions, including the Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee/Grand Strand, Lowcountry, Western Piedmont and Olde English regions.