About the Artist
Nico Cathcart is a Deaf/Hard of Hearing painter and muralist hailing from Toronto, Ontario, and currently living in Richmond, Virginia. Her work creates highly-realistic, socially informed pieces that blend the natural world with themes of resilience and transformation.
In 2023, Nico was named one of the Top 40 Artists to Watch by New York City's Culture Candy and Up Street Art Magazine. In 2024, she was highlighted as one of 50 globally influential women muralists in the book "Street Art by Women." In 2025, her work won the Susanna Kelly Art Award, and she was awarded a Sam and Adele Golden Artist Residency.
The artist is in the process of going deaf, and often includes birds in her work as a nod to her disability. Her murals can be found across the United States, transforming public spaces into canvases that inspire reflection and dialogue.
About the Mural
Set against a vibrant turquoise sky, this mural features a skull crowned with a monarch butterfly—a powerful symbol of transformation, migration, and the cycle of life. The composition is surrounded by California oranges, succulents, and golden hibiscus flowers, celebrating the botanical beauty of the Inland Empire.
The monarch butterfly holds special significance in Southern California, representing both the fragility and resilience of nature. Combined with the skull—a classic memento mori—the piece invites viewers to reflect on life, death, and rebirth, all wrapped in the lush abundance of the region's flora.
About the Sponsor: Mark Christopher Auto Center
Mark Christopher Auto Center is a family-owned automotive group serving the Inland Empire for over 40 years. With dealerships representing multiple brands, they've built a reputation for community involvement and customer service.
Beyond selling cars, Mark Christopher has consistently supported local events, schools, and charitable organizations throughout Ontario and the surrounding region. Their sponsorship of this mural continues a long tradition of investing in the community they serve.