Lee Road dedicates new mural by local artist

TAYLORS—On Sunday, March 30, Lee Road United Methodist Church proudly dedicated the new public arts mural that was painted on the church by local artist Nick Burns, also known as “Ninja Picasso.”

The mural took about three weeks to complete from start to finish and tells the story of Jesus in several scenes from the gospels. Nick Burns is a native of Simpsonville and credits God with giving him his talent and his mission. The artist puts as a tagline “NJAP” ( N* Jah P) on each work of art he does, meaning “Not Just a Painting.”

Burns has pursued art full time since 2018 and has become well known in the Upstate arts community.
At the dedication ceremony, Lee Road’s pastor the Rev. Rusty Godfrey presented Burns and longtime Lee Road UMC member Max Cromer with framed certificates. Cromer had the vision for the mural on the front wall of “The Bridge” (formerly a gym and now the contemporary worship site) to draw people to Jesus and the church.

The song “De Colores” was performed at the dedication by the children of the church, recognizing the beauty of the colors in the mural.

To view close-up shots of the mural, visit https://www.leeroadumc.com/mural.