ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming Community College has two murals in its student game room, painted by student and local artist Melody Nathan.
One mural is inspired by the spirit of play, while the other features the surrounding Wyoming landscape and highlights one student’s desire to give back to the college.
Nathan is pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science in business, with an emphasis in organizational management at the college and has been creating art for most of her life. Though self-taught, her experience spans graphite, acrylics, oils, watercolor, and digital design. Her murals in the game room reflect that passion by pairing technical skills with storytelling. The first mural, completed in August 2024, features Western’s mascot, Maverick the Mustang. He’s surrounded by references to popular games available in the student space. The planning committee and Nathan wanted the mural to reflect fun and connection.
The second mural, completed in January 2025, offers a sweeping landscape that blends some of southwest Wyoming’s most iconic features, including Flaming Gorge, Boar’s Tusk, and tree lines inspired by the Wind River Range.
“The Wyoming-themed mural was originally inspired by the mountain bikes hanging nearby,” Nathan said. “I wanted to use this mural to encourage the students to explore the area. There are some really amazing locations nearby that are easily accessible and so unique to this landscape.”
Collaboration played a key role in the creative process. Nathan worked closely with a committee to define the murals’ purpose and mood. From there, she created multiple digital mockups. Once a design was selected, she used a projector to scale the artwork onto the walls and began the meticulous process of hand-mixing every color to ensure each hue supported the cohesive tone of the mural.
As for her favorite aspect? The sky.
“I’ve spent my whole life in Wyoming watching the skies and really enjoyed having an opportunity to capture a piece of that. I also really enjoyed the transition from the gorge to the buffalo, that area was one of my favorite areas to create,” she said.
Through both works, Nathan hopes to leave a lasting mark on Western’s campus.
“I earned my associate degree here and am now working toward my bachelor’s. These murals were my way of giving back—sharing my talents with a community that’s supported me,” she said.
Residents are welcome to see the murals in Western’s Game Room, which is open during the academic year.
