S ince 1974 Robert Fishbone has created hundreds of site-specific big art in St. Louis and around the country. Today, Fishbone and his daughter, Liza, still make murals together as On the Wall Productions, the family business founded by Fishbone and his late wife, Sarah Lindquist, who died in 2010 at the age of 58.
The company, and its murals, have become an integral part of the landscape in St. Louis for good reasons. “On the Wall murals create murals that convey the character of a town with color and imagery that reflects its identity and sense of place,” Alton resident and business owner Penny Schmidt says.
“Their murals are a collaborative effort. Robert invites people into the process. For the ‘Alton Flyway Audubon’ mural, we brought 15 to 20 organizations and individuals together to contribute to the mural.
There was a real sense of cohesiveness and connection to each other, which is a wonderful thing in this divisive time.” Their vibrant murals can be good for private businesses, too, like the “Nothing Impossible” mural Robert and Liza painted for STL Style business owners Randy and Jeff Vines at Cherokee Street and Compton Avenue. “It wasn’t just ‘Oh yeah, we can put up a neat mural,’” Randy Vines says.
“Robert and Liza actually spent a week coming into our shop every day, to observe, to watch the flow and how we interact with our customers in the neighborhood. Something as simple as turning a blank wall into an art canvas can transform a b.