The M-20 bridge mural project has begun in Downtown Midland along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. The project was commissioned by the Midland Area Community Foundation and supported by expertise from Public Arts Midland, an initiative of the community foundation. 

MACF shares that Public Arts Midland is a space to help people create connections through public art.

“We believe that art connects, heals, inspires, teaches, and speaks to us in myriad ways that build stronger and more vibrant communities. Public art gives our community a collective voice and a way to express our values while it brings awareness of and beauty to our city’s physical and cultural landscape,” the community foundation shares on its website.

MACF said the vision for 2021 is that “art observes.”

“After a tumultuous last year for the world, we feel it’s imperative to step back, be aware of what’s happening around and be good listeners. What does this mean for public art specifically? Art inspires us and propels us forward, giving a voice to diverse experiences and people. Art is a catalyst for belonging and provides an opportunity to share our stories and be an observer,” MACF said.

Calls for artists for the project began in late 2020 and will reflect “the diversity and dynamism of the community and be designed at a scale that engages viewers from a distance.”

“We want community members to be able to see them¬selves in the artwork as well and we mean this literally. Our ultimate goal is to depict actual members of the community in the positions we have figurative placements for currently in our design,” an artist for the project said. 

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Learn more about Public Arts Midland.