Muralist Emily Herr Completes CVWMA Project

September 16, 2026 | Published by Julie Buchanan

Following an office renovation in 2024 that left walls looking somewhat bare, CVWMA embarked on an project to add a little color to its space on West Laburnum Avenue.

The authority was fortunate to partner with Richmond muralist Emily Herr of HerrSuite. Self-employed since graduation from Virginia Commonwealth University, Herr works full-time as a muralist for clients’ homes, businesses and public spaces. Her work can be found from Bolivia to Kwajalein, and California to Connecticut. Read her bio.

The idea for CVWMA’s office space was to capture various facets of the authority’s role in the community — from everyday collection services to neighborhood composting to education and outreach.

“We loved Emily’s approach to have the walls tell the story of CVWMA,” Executive Director Kim Hynes said. “As you walk our office, you see the different aspects of our story and how we impact residents living in a very wide service area.”

The project was completed over six months. It began with Herr paying a visit to the material recovery facility in Chester where household collectibles are sorted and baled.

Herr also brought in Richmond company Cut Cut to print and expertly install some artwork as wall and window decals. To welcome visitors to the office, Cut Cut created a new logotype sign that hangs in the lobby behind Administrative Assistant LaTanya McBride.

“The project elevates our entire workplace,” Hynes said.

For more insight into the mural project, read Herr’s artist statement:

Illustration has always held the strongest draw for me of all the visual arts. The co-dependence between an image and everything around it fascinates me, and I play with the interaction that may normally happen between words and images on a page on the much larger scale of walls, homes and cities. Every location for every mural I work on is different. I enjoy getting to know the layout, the decoration, the view, the inhabitants of each new place as I add to the local visual environment. 

I was especially excited to work with CVWMA for this project because the recycling programs that they run connect many different places and people throughout the region.

My goal was for the imagery in their office space to reflect the far-reaching nature of their work. There are many different pieces of this puzzle — the collection routes with bins and trucks, the processing facility’s huge machines, the various volunteer groups, collection events, and PR efforts… I was amazed by the extent of programs and education involved in collecting and recycling the waste of our region. It’s like a miniature of the worldwide economy of production, and in reverse!

I hope that my work has captured at least some of this intricate web so that visitors and staff can feel closer to what happens outside those walls. In learning about our local recycling systems, I was most excited to learn that our region is particularly good at recycling. We are high above the municipal recycling minimums required by law and the processing facility that manages the majority of our recycled material has long-standing relationships with material purchasers — that means none of the recyclable material is being trashed. I’ve heard lots of vague and disappointing press over the years about how recycling is a scam, a waste, ineffective, etc… and this project has renewed my personal faith in the importance of thoughtful management of our discarded materials.

—

All artwork by Emily Herr, HerrSuite.

Decals and sign production by Cut Cut Creative.

Photos by Alex Dimas, Creative Ambivert.

Category: News