For Grandma
- Artist
- Jeremy Nichols
- Location
- 119 South Duke Street, York, PA
Completed in 2025, artist Jeremy Nichols said this piece serves as a “semi-tribute” to his grandmother.
The Japan-born artist’s American grandmother, who was from upstate New York, is represented through a cardinal seen in the mural.
“I always remember all the cardinal decorations everywhere in my grandparents house,” Nichols said. “I always wanted to paint one for her, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Every time I see one it reminds me of her, and being a little kid running around her house.”
The artist also added a ‘red rising sun’ in the piece to subtly represent his Japanese grandmother.
“The rest of the mural is abstract, creating a colorful playfulness,” Nichols said. “I had a loose idea of what the mural would look like, but I just made it up as I went and just had fun playing around, sort of like I would as a kid running around his grandma’s house. This was intended to give the mural dimension, movement, and to create a “pattern” like feel when the viewer is up close. From afar, the bird(s) appear calm, looking out over the chaos, like how our mothers and grandmothers look out for us in a crazy world.”
Photos by Landon Wise.
The Artist
Jeremy Nichols
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Jeremy was raised in Columbus, OH, where he earned a BFA in printmaking at Ohio State University. He has worked as a studio and mural artist in Portland, OR for 16 years, creating murals across the US and abroad. Drawing on his early roots in street art, his work combines photorealistic depictions of flora and fauna with graphic elements that create movement, balance, and energy. Inspired by the beauty and importance of the natural world, he aims to encourage viewers to slow down, appreciate the nature around them, and recognize its role in our everyday lives.