Everything looks better with a little more color. Lacey Crime Art is helping to create a more colorful community as a full time muralist business in Fayetteville and the surrounding areas.
Army Veteran, mother of four and business owner, Lacey Crime spreads creativity, color and joy doing what she loves in the community. 
Self-taught, Crime painted her first mural in 2015 for her son’s bedroom, and went on to start her mural work in 2019. Since then, Crime has completed well over 200 murals, many of which can be seen around Fayetteville and the surrounding areas.
“My time in the military gave me the discipline and drive to complete jobs efficiently, no matter how tough the conditions are,” said Crime. “Before the Army, I worked in hospitality and service since I was old enough to work, and that background has been just as valuable. It taught me how to communicate clearly, build relationships and make sure every client feels taken care of. That mix of discipline and customer service has carried over into every mural project I take on.”

With 12 years of painting experience and a year at the Art Institute of Tampa under her belt, Crime has a diverse portfolio of over 200 murals, for companies, personal murals and interactive art pieces for businesses, cities and more.
“A mural can take anywhere from just a couple of hours to weeks, it really depends on the size, surface and complexity,” said Crime. “My longest project took about two weeks: a 1,000-square-foot mural on the brick exterior of the Clayton Fire Department. That wall didn’t even start until 10 feet up and went as high as 30 feet, and it was during the hottest stretch of summer, I don’t think I’ve ever hydrated more in my life!”

Crime has painted murals all over for numerous clients in the Fayetteville and surrounding areas, for big names including but not limited to Wayfair and Great Wolf Lodge. Locally, she was the artist behind the mural of the Berean Academy mascot, the artwork of Game On! Cards and Coffee, Sol’s Arcade and Taproom and more.

“It’s the small, privately owned businesses here that make all the difference. They’ve consistently given me opportunities and cheered me on as I’ve grown, and I’m really grateful for that support,” said Crime. “Even though I do a lot of work outside of Fayetteville, those local businesses have helped me stay connected to the community and reminded me how important it is to support each other.”
Crime charges $20-$40 per square foot, with a minimum project fee of $800, and the material she’s painting on, location, size, design and other aspects can impact rates. Her process starts with gauging the dimensions of the surface to be painted and working closely with her clients on making sure the design is exactly what they want. Crime offers to incorporate prep work for painting into the final cost before she works her magic.
“A smooth indoor drywall surface with nice AC blowing is going to be a lot quicker and easier than a rough brick or stucco exterior wall that’s exposed to weather on an east facing wall that gets direct sunlight. The harder the surface is to cover, the more time and materials it takes,” said Crime.

Crime stays busy with exclusively murals as the focus of her business, keeping an accurate scope of her bandwidth and trade, sharing that she could complete about 40 murals a year, depending on project details.
“Keep supporting local art and artists. Murals and public art add so much to a city, they make spaces more inviting, bring people together and even help other businesses by drawing more foot traffic,” said Crime. “Investing in art isn’t just about making a wall look nice, it’s about building pride in the community and helping the area grow.”
Crime continues to strive for betterment in her own business experience as she moves forward. 

Lacey Crime pursues what she loves, supports her family and serves her community with gorgeous, inventive pieces all at the same time.
“It’s also nice to see my work in the community where I live. When I’m out with my family and we drive past a mural I painted, it’s a cool reminder that I get to leave a mark here locally. And because Fayetteville has such a diverse mix of people and businesses, every project feels different, which keeps things interesting,” shared Crime.

To see more of Lacey Crime’s artwork, find her on social media at www.facebook.com/laceycrimeartist and her Instagram at @laceycrimeart.