ADAM SCHRIMMER

Medium: Mixed Media , Painting , Visual Arts

Contact Information

9415440158

I have been making art for as long as I can remember.

Beyond being something I was good at, art became a place of security for me—a space I could return to when words failed. Making art was the overflow for my emotions, an outlet for energy that needed a home. Long before it became a profession, art was how I processed the world and understood myself.

My practice shifted in a profound way when I was invited to paint murals in a small neighborhood in Greenville, South Carolina called Poe Mill. While the request was to paint walls at a main intersection, the real work began long before a brush touched the surface. Through engagement exercises held at a local church, meetings with historical societies, and grassroots conversations, I was openly welcomed into the community. Together, we decided to invite the community to paint alongside me over the course of a weekend.

What happened that weekend was nothing short of magical.

It was the first time I had ever created art collaboratively, and though I didn’t realize it at the time, it was my “aha” moment—I found my dharma. I learned that my innate creative abilities could be used for more than selfish purposes, but for the betterment of others and communities.

This was when Blank Canvas Mural Company began.

At the core of my work is listening. Each project introduces me to people who know a great deal about something I know nothing about, and I listen. It is always the same – people want to tell their stories. They want to be heard. I don’t take traditional notes; instead, I collect visual cues—”bright eyes, soft smile, infectious laugh, loves people”. These cues guide the imagery, allowing the final work to reflect not just the task at hand, but also the energy of the person I have engaged with and the impact they have had on me.

When working with youth, I often invite them to draw or write simple poetry. These gestures reveal so much—not only about a community, but about the child creating them. When we allow children to be vulnerable and open, they show us who they are. Their marks, words, and ideas become essential pieces of the story we are telling together.

My background as an illustration major, product illustrator, spec ad designer, art director, and now self-employed business owner has deeply informed different aspects of my style and approach. Illustration taught me how to tell stories without words. Product illustration taught me how to translate someone else’s vision into form. Spec design taught me how to work collaboratively with people who are different from me and art direction taught me how to guide and direct. Each step helped me find my stride and learn how to receive the signals of communities who wanted to be seen, heard, and understood.

Fast forward to that same Poe Mill neighborhood where Blank Canvas Mural Company was born. The name “Blank Canvas” reflects more than empty walls—it represents my belief that we are all blank canvases, shaped by the stories we’ve been told, the stories we tell ourselves, and the stories we hope to believe in.

The Radiate mural we created at Poe Mill includes the phrase “Radiate Positive Vibes”. This was inspired by Rashida’s smile and Kwadjo’s hug. It was, and still remains, for the guy on the corner laughing to himself while you rush to work, for the unhoused person who smiles for a dollar, for the sunshine on my face while I paint and the air in my lungs while I dance. It is about my ability—and our collective ability—to embrace these moments, to see them, to slow down, and to be with them. How we show up for people, how we listen, and who we choose to be for others is ultimately all there is.

Through this experience – and countless other community engagement projects I’ve been fortunate to lead – I understand that the same sense of safety art gave me could be offered to others. Whether I am working with students, neighborhoods, or entire communities, my work creates space for people to be—to create, to feel vulnerable, to build confidence, and to experience joy together. My hope is to continue creating work for communities who believe their stories matter and want them told by someone who genuinely cares about what is being shared.