This story is being published in partnership with the Missouri Historical Society.

At Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Robert Fishbone found two things that changed his life. Initially intent on studying biochemistry, he discovered photography, which helped him recognize his passion was for art and not science. The change in majors required enrollment in an art class that led to his second discovery, Sarah Linquist, his future life and business partner.

After graduation in 1974, the couple didn’t have firm plans. A friend wanted to start a St. Louis–based community media center and invited them to help with the proposed center’s audio and video equipment. Fishbone and Linquist loaded up their VW Beetle and made the move to Mound City.

The community media center didn’t pan out, but the pair decided they liked St. Louis and looked for other opportunities to make their mark on the town. When they learned of a business owner who wanted a mural painted on his building, they decided to apply for the job. Fishbone laughs at their naiveté. “We thought, well, Sarah’s a good artist, and I like doing really hard things. This project is about right for us.”

They didn’t intend to make murals for the next 50 years, but the opportunities kept coming. Fishbone says each mural is site-specific because they use the building’s location as inspiration. “I stand with my back to the building and consider what the wall sees and what it’s seen. Is it urban or rural? Who walks past it? What kind of traffic is there? Is there a history or mission worth portraying?”

They often infuse a touch of fun and whimsy into their designs.

Car Heaven was on a building near a space once known as Automobile Row because of the number of car manufacturers and repair shops located there. Reflecting this history, On The Wall Productions depicted historic cars amid heavenly clouds. Fishbone credits the Missouri Historical Society for playing a role in the project. “We didn’t have the internet back then, so we spent a lot of time at MHS’s Library & Research Center looking through large, oversized picture books of historic vehicles.

Their Lindy Squared mural, one of On The Wall Productions’ most famous pieces, was, according to Fishbone, the team’s most complicated project. Fishbone says, “The painting was easy, but it was a challenge to obtain permission, raise funds, and figure out how to do it.”

Adorning the old Lion Gas Building in St. Louis, the work appears to be an abstract matrix of 72 shades of gray when viewed up close, but it resolves into a continuous-tone image of aviator Charles Lindbergh when seen from afar. To generate the pixelated design, they used an analog machine created by Ed Manning, an engineer who was inspired by work he saw on the Bell Picture phone.

Although it was only on the Lion Gas Building from 1977–1981, Lindy Squared’s popularity helped On the Wall Productions secure more contracts, and their projects have enriched St. Louis and other cities across the US for 50 years.

Once Fishbone and Linquist married and had children, Liza and Tyler, they looked for additional sources of income. Linquist took some private commissions and worked summers painting backdrops for The Muny, where she worked as the Head Scenic in the Scenic Art Department for ten years. The Muny was Linquist’s favorite, ongoing activity.

Fishbone, who has always liked a creative challenge, began selling novelty products. He says, “Our first and most successful product was the Inflatable Scream, and we sold over 450,000 of those in over 20 different countries.”

The Inflatable Scream and other products he created were the family’s primary source of income. Over time, the business sold about 3.5 million individual products, including inflatables, cubes, and a few musical instruments.

Fishbone and Linquist passed on their passion for art and creativity to their children. Liza is an artist based in Austin, Texas, who fondly remembers doing grunt work for artists like her mother at The Muny during her summer breaks. Tyler Fishbone, who also had a stint at The Muny, is a self-described software engineer by day and mad inventor by night. His inventions share the whimsy, cleverness, and fun of his father’s creations.

After Sarah Linquist passed away in 2010, Fishbone experimented with different creative efforts, but understandably avoided working on murals.

On The Wall Productions wouldn’t be celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year if Liza hadn’t convinced her father that they should compete for the opportunity to paint a mural on KDHX’s exterior in 2015. They won the contract, and this became the first of many collaborations between the father and daughter. Tyler also helps when he’s available.

In general, work goes smoothly for Team Fishbone, although they face occasional challenges. One project that was especially emotional for Liza was restoring the fading murals her mother had painted between 1996-2006 for Willert Home Products. While she had mixed feelings about painting over her mother’s work beginning in 2016, her father said she was emphatic about not letting anyone else do it. When speaking to Liza about her work, it’s apparent that she’s an artist like her mother and likes to do hard things like her dad.

On The Wall Productions has designed and produced over 200 murals, both indoor and outdoor, throughout St. Louis and across the US. Each of these pieces is unique because for the Fishbone family, murals are composed of more than just paint. Each mural is a thoughtful, creative composition intended to celebrate, inspire, and uplift the people surrounding its location.

In keeping with this generous philosophy, Robert Fishbone donated records and images from On The Wall Productions to MHS. These can be found in the archives of the Library & Research Center, where St. Louisans can continue to be inspired and uplifted by their work.