News & Views

Traverse City’s First Mural Festival

This September, Traverse City will host its first-ever Mural Festival—a weeklong celebration of public art that will transform the North Boardman Business District into a corridor of color, creativity, and community.

From September 12–17, walls from Lake Avenue to Barlow Street will become canvases for artists from Michigan, across the country, and beyond. More than an arts event, the festival is part of the city’s North Boardman Creative Initiative, launched in response to the 2019 Healthy Eighth Street Study to reimagine the corridor as a hub of activity and investment.

Public art is not decoration. It’s infrastructure. Murals build identity, spark pride, and invite participation. They make clear that creativity is central to how a community grows.

The Artists

A diverse lineup will bring their visions to Traverse City:

  • Nik Burkhart (Maple City)
  • Jamie John (Traverse City)
  • Dania Grevengoed (Grand Rapids)
  • Eddie Chaffer aka Son Visual (Grand Rapids)
  • Daisuke Okamoto (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Dominic Laporte & Anaïs Labreque aka Drift Mural Co. (Ottawa, Ontario)

The Walls

Murals will rise on buildings that already serve as local gathering spots:

  • Oryana
  • The Box Building
  • EB2 Vintage
  • Bay Family Vision Care
  • Silver Spruce Brewing
  • The Copy Shop
  • The Filling Station

The Events

The public is invited to watch the murals take shape and take part in festival events, including:

  • Kickoff Celebration — Sept 12, 5 PM, Commongrounds
  • Family Art Activity — Sept 14, Traverse Area District Library – Woodmere
  • Artist Panel — Sept 16, 6 PM, The Alluvion at Commongrounds
  • Closing Parade — Sept 17, 4 PM, starting at Oryana on 10th Street
  • The festival coincides with the Downtown Art Fair (Sept 13–14), reinforcing Traverse City’s role as a regional hub for creativity.

Why It Matters

Public art changes how a place feels and functions. Murals remind us that art is not reserved for galleries, but belongs in the spaces we share every day.

The Traverse City Mural Festival is a first. But it should also be a foundation—proof that public art is worth championing as part of our community’s future.

Learn more on the TC Arts Commission website.