Laira Larson from Lockwood High School paints Lockwood’s very first entry into the War of the Walls Mural competition
Despite the windy, raining spring weather, a rough painting surface and scrambling to find time between school, work, and activities, a select group of seniors manage to paint giant pieces of art while preparing to graduate high school. Since 1991, a student or student-team has designed a mural for the walls of each MasterLube location in Billings. Once a design is selected, a team composed of student artists, friends, parents and volunteers paint the pieces, which vary in size up to about 18 feet tall. The idea behind each school painting a mural on a MasterLube location came about through the Grad Day fundraising event held each year in May to raise money towards the schools’ all-night, alcohol-free graduation party. Each Billings high school and Laurel high school “adopts” one of the five locations during the event.
Each school has a different procedure for choosing its design. Some schools hold internal contests among the art department students while others collaborate on ideas and work together as a team to create their project. School teams also obtain paint donations and supplies from area businesses. The Paint Center in Billings has been donating paint for at least 15 years.
Billings West High muralist Caleb Stapley and his friends work on West High’s mural from 2025
Despite the windy, raining spring weather, a rough painting surface and scrambling to find time between school, work, and activities, a select group of seniors manage to paint giant pieces of art while preparing to graduate high school. Since 1991, a student or student-team has designed a mural for the walls of each MasterLube location in Billings. Once a design is selected, a team composed of student artists, friends, parents and volunteers paint the pieces, which vary in size up to about 18 feet tall. The idea behind each school painting a mural on a MasterLube location came about through the Grad Day fundraising event held each year in May to raise money towards the schools’ all-night, alcohol-free graduation party. Each Billings high school and Laurel high school “adopts” one of the five locations during the event.
Each school has a different procedure for choosing its design. Some schools hold internal contests among the art department students while others collaborate on ideas and work together as a team to create their project. School teams also obtain paint donations and supplies from area businesses. The Paint Center in Billings has been donating paint for at least 15 years.
