Russell Mason, one of the Northeast’s premier muralists, spent many years working at Turning Stone Resort Casino before focusing on a full-time career in art. His partnership with Verona Collective to create a new mural for its flagship dispensary represents a homecoming for the artist, who remembers his time with the organization with gratitude and pride.

Oneida Indian Nation Homelands (March 19, 2025) – Verona Collective’s flagship location in the Verona Crossroads retail plaza is now home to a beautiful new mural created by one of the Northeast’s premier muralists, Russell Mason. The collaboration between the artist and the Oneida Indian Nation’s cannabis enterprise has been especially significant for both parties as Mason spent several years as part of the Turning Stone Resort Casino team before beginning a full-time career as an artist.

At sixteen, he began his first job as a line cook at Crystal’s, a 1950s-style diner that was once located at the resort. Years later, he returned after college for a role as a server at the award-winning TS Steakhouse while he worked on building his art career. Today, Mason remembers those times fondly due to the workplace culture and incredible camaraderie he found with fellow team members at Turning Stone.

“Turning Stone was a great place to work because the culture there is like a family,” Mason said. “Once you’re in that family, you’re always part of it. There’s also a lot of support for artists and everyone with creative passions outside of their work, which is rare to find. I’d recommend a career here to anyone.”

For Mason, that support took the form of flexible scheduling and options for full-time, part-time and on-call work that also allowed him to focus on art. Today, his work takes him across the country, creating large-scale works of art that transform spaces for organizations that include the Obama Foundation, the Buffalo Bills, Amazon, California Pizza Kitchen and more. Returning to the Oneida Indian Nation’s enterprises as part of that journey has been a full-circle moment for him and an opportunity to rejoin the work family he still misses.

From creating the concept for the mural to painting its rich details, Mason was also excited by the energy at Verona Collective and the opportunity to enhance the dispensary with a one-of-a-kind design. He says the dispensary’s mural was inspired by Verona Collective’s seed-to-sale business model, in which every aspect of production, including cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging and retail sales, is overseen by the Oneida Indian Nation and held to the same award-winning standards as the Nation’s other enterprises. Its design reflects a “from the ground up” theme, an element of the cannabis enterprise that Mason feels gives guests an added level of trust and comfort.

“When I first walked into the dispensary, I was taken aback by how beautiful it is,” Mason said. “There’s a great vibe here because of the team and the guests, and that energy is going right into the mural.”

With the Verona Collective mural finished, Mason will soon be on to the next city to transform another space with his signature talents. At the same time, he is grateful for the opportunity to return to his roots and leave a lasting mark at the dispensary.

“I was sad to finish the mural. I was having so much fun here,” he explained. “Above all, I’m really grateful to have this opportunity. They took a chance on me as a 16-year-old kid, and now they’ve taken another chance on me with this project. To be part of this has been really special to me. It feels like coming home.”

Guests can view the new mural at Verona Collective’s flagship location within the Verona Crossroads retail plaza at the intersection of Routes 365 and 31 in Verona, New York. The dispensary is open from 10:00am to 9:00pm Sunday through Wednesday and 10:00 am to 10:00 pm Thursday through Saturday.

 

About the Oneida Indian Nation

The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. A founding member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (also known as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy), the Oneida Indian Nation sided with the Americans in the Revolutionary War and was thanked by Congress and President George Washington for its loyalty and assistance. Today, the Nation’s enterprises, which employ more than 5,000 people, include Turning Stone Resort Casino, YBR Casino & Sports Book, Point Place Casino, The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, The Cove at Sylvan Beach, Maple Leaf Markets, SāvOn Convenience stores, Verona Collective, a seed-to-sale cannabis operation, RV Park, and marinas. Proceeds from these enterprises are used to rebuild the Nation’s economic base and provide essential services, including housing, health care, and education incentives and programs, to its Members.

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