Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn have fun turning public spaces into playful experiences. The Baltimore-based pair, known as Jessie and Katey, transformed a staircase at Appalachian State University in North Carolina into the giant, vibrant mural they pose with in the image above. The team found inspiration in Appalachian quilting and textile traditions. They designed the mural to look like a long rug running down the stairs, which connect a road to the school’s visual arts building.
Jessie and Katey carefully planned their design. They drew grids on the stairs to determine where the patterns would intersect. To create the exact angles, “there was a lot of math involved,” the artists say. For a finishing touch, they painted rug-like tassels. “We pride ourselves on engaging the viewer through the use of color, bold geometric designs, and an underlying narrative for those who look for one,” the artists explain.