Created by Emily Herr, WHERE ⌂ HERE, is a mural that encourages viewers to ask the questions- where are we coming from? Where are we going? How do we get there? The main theme of her mural is transportation. The mural is located at a bus depot and is across the street from the Amtrak platform. Herr’s mural is a nod to Roanoke’s history as a railroad nexus, going far back to when the city was salt marshes where animals would convene, and hunters would follow their paths. Eventually, these paths would turn into roads and then into railroads and then into the city that it is today. Emily connects the past with the present by depicting maps surrounding the central image that represents the journey of the region.

In her artist statement, Herr points out that the purpose of maps is to give a high-level idea of a place, however, maps are made by those who get to modify the landscape. She further states that maps can be a form of control, but they can also have the power to “charge up an idea and improve the lives of many.” “As we move through space, we also move through time.” Herr reminds us that growth for some can mean destruction for others, and as we move forward, we must acknowledge the past and find a place for it in current events.

The central image is a first-person perspective of “glowing autumn foliage leading towards sunny clearing along old tracks glinting in the light.” It represents the present, where the figures shown are Roanokers who are celebrating creativity, or showcasing their heritage, or protesting their rights. Emily describes that “lively individual people are the motor of collective movement towards the light of possibilities still too bright to see clearly yet.”

Emily drew inspiration for this mural from many residents, as well as there being some historical touchpoints associated with it, such as historic photos and inspirational stories of Don Pullen and Oscar Micheaux.

About the artist:
Emily Herr is an artist from Richmond, VA. Also known as HerrSuite, she creates murals and specializes in context-based design with bright imagery. Since graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2013, she has worked full-time as a muralist for public, commercial, and residential clients. Herr has been doing workshops and painting trips across the US and abroad, and leading the non-profit RVA Makers since 2017. Her most recent work was designing and building a mobile artist studio and launching a traveling mural project called “Girls! Girls! Girls!” to represent women in public art better. Learn more about her work on her website at: ​HerrSuite

Sourced from:
The artist’s statement of the work.