July Cover Artist: Lola Murals
Lorin Pope and Lani McKay joined forces in 2017 to create Lola Murals, customized art for large scale surfaces. Visual artists inspired by nature, their collaborative work can be found in multiple states. Having first seen Lani’s portraits of women in the dining room of Bozeman’s 14 North, Lorin hired Lani to assist her in the completion of her jazz-themed mural in the Bozeman restaurant, Jam! Lani had just returned from Vermont, where she had painted murals on her first food truck, Chez Mami.
These projects sealed their confidence in each other’s capabilities. The two spent the following months creating art for two Missoula restaurants, Sake-to-Me and Michi Ramen Bar. There, visitors can see the artists’ Asian-inspired land and seascapes, tigers, pandas, women and flowers, and a 25’ x 6’ hand-carved wooden sculpture of a segmented salmon suspended from the ceiling and encompassed by a stylized mural of geometric shapes and waves. The duo went on to have their own show at The Kay Potter Art Gallery in Livingston. They have also participated in local Art Walks and various fundraising art auctions.
That’s when Bozeman’s Tarantino’s Pizzeria hired them to paint what is now called their “Pizza Saints” on the interior walls. A playful take on classic stained glass, local animals are adorned with halos made of pizza. Celebrating spring, one wall features an elk tossing pizza dough and an antelope placing pizza in the oven. On the summer mural, a blue heron delivers boxes of pizza (see cover photo).
A farming raccoon offers a harvest of veggies in the autumn panel.
Finally, a bobcat wearing blue and gold robes serves it up in the winter.
Lorin and Lani returned in 2019 from a road trip where they painted murals on walls and commercial vehicles in Missouri and Colorado. This summer Lola Murals will be working in Bozeman. Keep your eyes out for Lani and Lorin painting a wall on a prominent street corner near you.
To see more visit their website, LolaMurals.com or call them at (417) 827-7622. Lola Murals and the individual artists can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.