New Mural by Dominic Chambers Explores the Underground Railroad in St. Louis
Last Month, Walls Off Washington unveiled a new mural at Saint Louis University’s Searls Hall by acclaimed artist Dominic Chambers in collaboration with Saint Louis University and the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award program. The vibrant mural, titled For You: All the Color in the World, explores the legacy of the Underground Railroad and highlights its significance in Missouri and the St. Louis region.
Inspired by 2025 St. Louis Literary Award winner and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad, the mural creates a robust dialogue between literature, history and public art. The collaboration underscores a commitment to aligning the arts, education and historical reflection, fostering meaningful engagement with the local community.
“Dominic’s work eloquently intertwines history, memory, and storytelling to create a dialogue that resonates deeply with our region. His new mural draws on multifarious art historical influences and the transformative concept of the veil—a metaphor that invites us to reimagine the inner landscape of our shared experiences,” says Gina Grafos, Chief Curator and Director of Visual & Literary Art at Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
The project aims to illuminate St. Louis’ historical connections to the Underground Railroad and offer a space for collective reflection and learning. Through a dynamic partnership with Saint Louis University, educators, students and the public will have opportunities to engage with the mural and related programming, including discussions on art, history and literature.
Born in St. Louis and currently residing and working in New Haven, Conn., Chambers returned to his hometown to create the mural and participated in an engaging panel discussion at SLU on April 7 with historian Dorris Keeven-Franke, an expert on Missouri’s Underground Railroad history. A writer himself, Chambers is often inspired by literature and has cited Magical Realism, alongside writings by W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin, as significantly influential to his practice.
“We were honored and overjoyed to welcome Dominic Chambers home to St. Louis for this significant public art project,” Grafos says. “His return was not only a celebration of his extraordinary artistic practice but also a powerful tribute to the vibrant narratives that shape our past and inspire our future. We could not imagine a more fitting artist to bring this vision to life.”
Walls Off Washington continues to serve as a platform for large-scale, thought-provoking works that reflect St. Louis’s cultural and historical fabric. For more information, visit wallsstl.com and follow Walls Off Washington on Facebook and Instagram.
