USCB Studio Art Faculty and Students Create Mural at Port Royal Police Department
Alligators, roseate spoonbills, fighter jets and the town's iconic observation tower are all part of a new mural created by University of South Carolina Beaufort art faculty and students at the Port Royal Police Department.
The vibrant mural has transformed the police department's training room and public meeting space through art that celebrates the natural beauty of the Lowcountry and unique aspects of the Town of Port Royal.
Led by art instructor Emma Barnes McClure in collaboration with recent graduate Suzie Atkins and senior Sierra Culbertson, the USCB team designed and painted the large-scale mural on the front wall of a large room that hosts staff training and meetings by community groups. The Beaufort Water Festival Committee is one group that meets in this room, and the police department hopes more community groups will utilize the space.
Commissioning the mural was part of the police department's ongoing initiative to beautify its facilities. Leaders envisioned artwork that would immediately reflect the spirit of Port Royal.
The town of about 16,000 residents is a historic maritime village, located on a peninsula bounded by the Beaufort River and Battery Creek. The police department is off Paris Avenue, adjacent to the Cypress Woodlands boardwalk and rookery.
"We needed our mural to say Port Royal," said Administrative Sgt. Kelly Mason. "We wanted a Lowcountry scene with marshes, birds, the observation tower and even alligators—they're the bane of our existence."
Mason said she contacted USCB's art department with the idea, and she and Barnes worked together to develop the concept.
"I reached out to the USCB art department, and Emma was amazing," Mason said. "We shared the general idea, went back and forth on the design, and she brought our vision to life. We are ecstatic with the result."
The finished mural captures the beauty that surrounds the Port Royal Police Department, which is off historic Paris Avenue, adjacent to the Cypress Wetlands boardwalk and rookery. Local wildlife, marsh grasses, native birds, and the Blue Angels flying overhead tell the story of the community, while police badges on either side of the mural symbolize the department's commitment to protecting and serving Port Royal.
For Atkins and Culbertson, the project offered an opportunity to create public art while collaborating directly with a community partner. Both students said they were thrilled to contribute to a project that will be enjoyed for years to come.
"This was my first mural, and I was happy to get this experience," Atkins said.
The relationships that developed during the painting process became one of the project's most rewarding aspects. Officers and staff frequently stopped by the training room to check on the mural's progress, offer encouragement and get to know the artists.
Barnes McClure said she was grateful for their enthusiasm throughout the collaboration.
"I can't say enough about how kind the department was," she said.
Barnes McClure said she and her students are proud that the completed mural will serve as the centerpiece in a space that welcomes officers, town leaders and community organizations to gather and collaborate.
The mural is in the training and community meeting room at the Port Royal Police Department.
- USCB -
CW 07/07/2026