Sandia’s California campus recently got a lot more colorful.

Inspired by the 75th anniversary theme of “Making history, Shaping the future,” two creative designers made history of their own by painting the site’s first mural.

“The goal was to have something bright and bold, bringing life to the east side of campus — something that could inspire and make people proud to be a Sandian,” said Krissy Galbraith, who partnered on the mural with team member Jami Butler.

Jami and Krissy were interested in working together to paint a mural on campus, and the 75th anniversary felt like the perfect opportunity.

The mural, painted on the walls of an electrical substation near the Badge Office and Nucleus Event Pad, was officially unveiled during California’s Family Day by Integrated Security Solutions Associate Labs Director Andy McIlroy, who recognized the artists for their dedication and hard work.

“This is a really special moment,” Andy said. “Krissy and Jami brought their whole selves to work in this, brought their talents and brought their passions. They listened to the whole community. The mural celebrates the innovation California is known for, and we hope it inspires everybody to do more great work for our nation.”

The designers stood with Andy for the mural dedication, sharing their masterpiece for the first time with not only Sandians, but also family and friends.

“When we did the big reveal, it was surreal in a really good way,” Jami said. “Our work was honored in such a very special way, and it felt great to be able to contribute that piece of art to the Labs for our fellow Sandians to enjoy.”

Artistic innovation

At least six months before painting over the summer, Jami and Krissy met with Andy and executive leadership to brainstorm visual goals and refine ideas with what could realistically be painted.

“As we honor 75 years of the Labs, we wanted to commemorate the rich history of the Labs, and there’s so much history to honor,” Krissy said. “It was a complex task to capture the essence of so many people and their contributions. People are the heart and soul of the Labs, and we wanted this to be the focal point of the mural.”

They focused on highlighting the people and the work of Sandia as well as the Livermore landscape.

The final product incorporates compositional features to tell a cohesive story both in concept and in visual palette. It reflects Sandia’s history, from the core mission of nuclear deterrence to multiple national security missions, built around Sandians from a wide variety of backgrounds inspiring the next generation.

“It visually draws your eye through the story, keeping a seamless transition through the whole design,” Krissy said.

The four-sided mural starts with a vivid butterfly, symbolizing a theme of transformation — marking the inception of Sandia’s journey. California poppies anchor the design to the site’s location. Moving around the corner, Sandians from various fields, in different stages of their careers, draw inspiration from the past and are dedicated to carrying on Sandia’s legacy.

From there, a white test-launch plume encircles an atom and transforms into a flock of birds, representing a singular mission to a multifaceted commitment to national security and global peace. In the background, green hills with Livermore’s distinctive wind turbines transition from blue skies into a glowing sunset around the next corner.

The darkening sky curves around to the final wall, which showcases space exploration and uncharted territories.

“The boy represents an aspirational forward look and outreach to young people, and the paper airplane represents innovation and ideas as well as Sandia’s technological contributions across the Labs” Jami said. “And the astronaut could be anybody — we’re all the astronaut.”

Blood, sweat, tears and paint

The design process was a challenging and rewarding one, and then there was painting the wall itself.

Four stucco walls stretching 800 square feet, resting on uneven ground, posed more challenges for the artists. They went through ladder training and hazardous waste training to learn proper handling and disposal of paint water.

Jami and Krissy spent a weekend projecting the design on the wall after dark and into the early morning hours. They encountered trial and error in the process of getting the design level, especially with lettering built into the artwork.

“It required a heavy hand with graphite on the stucco wall,” Jami said. “We had gloves on, and it was so much fun, though.”

They returned each morning layering acrylic paint over the graphite outline, fearing a sudden summer storm might ruin their night’s work.

“After a long process, we were thrilled to finally reach this stage,” Krissy said. “It was time to start the fun part — painting!”

The designers created a detailed paint-by-number map of nearly a dozen pages with about 40 different colors, some they had to mix themselves. They spent 38 days painting, used 57 brushes and went through 33 gallons of paint. The walls required at least four coats of paint, and some areas nearly double that.

Working outside during the summer was another challenge, with many of the days reaching over 100 degrees. On those hot days, Krissy and Jami would come on-site before sunrise and haul all their supplies out for the day and work until it became too hot by mid-afternoon. Even still, their enthusiasm never waned.

“Coming to work every day and painting was a dream come true,” Krissy said. “It was something I never thought I could ever do here. It was amazing.”

They received support from other Sandia departments including Environment, Safety and Health for training and Facilities for supplies along the way, creating a sense of community with the project. Sandians walking by would stop to appreciate the work in progress, and seeing the mural underway even brought one person to tears.

“She was so moved that this opportunity was given to us, and she could feel how happy we were to be out there doing what we love and sharing it with others,” Krissy said.

Seeing the finished work of art, especially with the celebration on Family Day, has been a wonderful reward for the artists.

“Somebody commented that it feels like it was always here,” Jami said. “Like it was meant to be.”

Along with new signage and fresh landscaping — part of the California Site Improvement Project — the mural greets employees and visitors to the site, showing off Sandia’s sense of community and creativity.

“This mural is the final piece of our team’s revitalization efforts,” Krissy said. “As Sandia California’s front door, it creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, reflecting our personality and inspiring pride.”