Artists Leave Mark on Sanctuary

Inspiration That Kept Growing

Ideas kept bubbling up as the mural took shape. “We’d be like, ‘Oh! We’ve gotta add this tomorrow!’ or ‘It’d be so fun to include that!’” Nell Tryst laughed. “We just kept building on it organically and authentically. I’m not gonna lie—we’re pretty proud of it.”

A Collaborative Creation

Tryst didn’t tackle the project alone. She partnered with fellow artist Louis LaPierre, whose wife has long supported the sanctuary. Together, they spent a full week on-site creating Raspberries, the vibrant mural now displayed between the Chimps Ahoy and Dorothy Jo & Tilly villas.

Art like this doesn’t appear overnight. From the first spark of an idea to the final brushstroke, the process took two months. They didn’t simply show up with paint and improvise. Instead, the artists immersed themselves in the sanctuary’s history, combing through the website and learning about the first group of chimpanzees who arrived in 2016.

Honoring the Early Alphas

“We were reading about the alphas from those early groups and wanted to pay homage to them,” Tryst explained. “They paved the way for the other chimps to feel safe, comfortable, and able to thrive in their new, post-research lives.”

The pair wanted the mural to be more than a collection of chimpanzee portraits. They studied enrichment toys, tire towers, favorite foods—anything that could add meaningful detail and texture to the piece.

A Mural You Can Explore

“We made the mural interactive, almost like a picture-find,” she said. “We hid an apple, ten chimps, and a few other surprises so visitors can really engage with it during tours.”

A Lifelong Love of Chimps

Tryst’s passion for chimpanzees didn’t begin with this project.

“I’m 39 now, and I’ve been in love with Jane Goodall my whole life,” she shared. “When I saw Project Chimps launch in 2015, I kept an eye on it. And when I saw her stamp of approval, I knew I wanted to help somehow.”

Returning to a Place That Felt Right

That opportunity came sooner than she expected.

“You had an open call for artists in 2020 to paint chimpanzee bedrooms,” she recalled. “I spent three days doing that and couldn’t believe how incredible the facility was. I swore then that I’d come back to take care of those boring concrete walls.”

Painting for the Chimps — and the Community

From painting inside the villas to transforming the habitat exterior, Tryst’s impact keeps growing.

“I painted first for the chimps, but now I’m painting for you all,” she said. “This one is for the volunteers, the hardworking staff, and the community that supports everything.”

More Art to Come

And she’s not done yet. She’s already planning her return to tackle another “boring concrete wall.”

Follow her work on Facebook and Instagram at @TrystTriggerArtworks