Myra Gaither

At Rim Rock Elementary School in Fruita, all six grades had a hand – literally – in transforming the front of their red-brick building. The mural they created with local artist Pavia Justinian depicts a lynx, their school mascot, scaling six panels of the iconic Colorado National Monument. The lynx’s ascent is more than a striking image; it symbolizes the students’ journey through six years of education.  

The students played an active role in bringing their vision to life. After representatives from each grade chose Justinian as their artist, she worked with small groups of four to six students at a time to paint the mural. The project became a lasting memory for the kids and a source of pride for the school.    

But Justinian’s creative impact on Fruita doesn’t stop at Rim Rock. Across town, Fruita Middle School students joined her in transforming a 75-foot-long bike and pedestrian tunnel beneath U.S. Highway 50. As part of a summer camp project called Wellspring, they painted a mural that traces the Colorado River’s journey – from snowmelt in the high country to the parched landscapes downstream, touched by wildfire and drought.  


Shanachie Carroll

A Lifelong Connection to the Landscape  

Justinian’s love for the Western Slope began in childhood when her family moved to the region. The contrasts of red rock formations, green vegetation and the wildlife – such as bighorn sheep – captured her imagination. Even the debris scattered across the desert became a source of inspiration. 

For decades, artists in the Grand Junction area have scavenged discarded metal and junk for their projects. The practice earned the city the unflattering nickname “Junktown,” but Justinian sees beauty and potential in these remnants of the past.  

When the son of a retired local artist offered old car bumpers from the 1950s and ’60s for sale, Justinian jumped at the chance. She purchased the lot and turned the vintage metal into her largest project to date: a pair of bighorn sheep sculptures displayed at a Grand Junction roundabout near the Hartmann Farmhouse on Broadway. 

The installation, known as The Redlands Project, features two massive rams – 10 feet tall and 10 feet long – locked in combat. With their heads bolted together, the sculptures mimic the behavior of the wild sheep that roam the nearby cliffs.  

“I’m trying to bring that magic down into the city,” Justinian explained.  

To create the sculptures, Justinian repurposed tractor grilles for the rams’ ribs, vintage fenders for their hindquarters and corrugated roofing for their legs. “Pieces that already have a natural curve are perfect for creating musculature,” she said. “Older car fenders have these beautiful organic forms, whereas modern ones are more geometric – they feel less alive.”  

Using salvaged materials isn’t just an artistic choice for Justinian; it’s a statement. “Reclaiming junk reclaims the nickname ‘Junktown’ and turns it into something positive,” she said.  



Shanachie Carroll

Art Born from Place  

The rich colors of Justinian’s environment inspire her paintings, which often echo the red rock hues of the Western Slope. While she cherishes camping under the stars, she admits she’s not an avid hiker.  

“I’m not a huge hiker. I don’t like sweating in nature,” she quipped.   

Her aversion to the Western Slope’s relentless sunshine – 300 days a year – has even shaped her approach to art. She discovered the challenges of outdoor painting early in her career when she tackled her first mural: an electrical box featuring Kokopelli, the Southwestern deity, riding a bike.  

“I learned the hard way that you need bonding primer to paint metal in the hot sun,” she said. “That project also taught me how to create a two-dimensional scene on a three-dimensional object. People would stop by, park their cars and watch me work – it was a great introduction to public art.” 

Nowadays, Justinian’s work can be found in less conventional places, like the fence of Copper Club Brewery in Fruita. There, she painted local icons Greta the Dinosaur and Mike the Headless Chicken – on bikes, of course.  

Justinian’s husband, Shanachie Carroll, plays a vital role in her creative process. A public library manager and photographer, Carroll documents Justinian’s work, from murals to sculptures, providing fresh perspectives when she’s stuck.  

“He’s got a great eye for art,” Justinian said.  

Carroll’s insight proved invaluable when Justinian struggled with an abstract sculpture made of epoxy and rusted metal. At his suggestion, she painted a turquoise river running through the piece, uniting the contrasting materials.  

“The river brought it together,” she said, drawing a connection to the Colorado River that sustains the Grand Valley’s communities – Fruita, Grand Junction and Palisade alike.  

Through her art, Justinian channels the landscapes, wildlife, and people of the Western Slope, creating pieces that bring her community together and turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.