Uptown Grand Rapids Public Art Walking Tour
Expiration: Must start using within 365 days of purchase
Uptown’s four lively business districts boast a growing collection of public art! Immerse yourself in a fun and walkable self-guided tour that showcases the neighborhood’s diverse artworks, while also indulging in the unique sips, sights, and flavors of Uptown Grand Rapids.
Tour Highlights:
Flexible Start: This self-guided looped tour allows you to begin at any artwork.
Length: The full route covers approximately 3.5 miles.
Artworks: Explore 19 stunning wall murals, 3 colorful crosswalks, 4 painted storm drains, 11 decorated utility boxes, and 1 functional sculpture.
Along the Way: Peruse Uptown’s charming restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops, while strolling through Uptown’s charming residential neighborhoods.
Included Venues
See locations on an interactive map.
The inspiration for this mural on the side of Spike & Mike's Party Store is the need for humans to connect with one another in times of celebration. Across cultures, centuries, and time zones, people come together to cheers their common humanity, triumph, and hopes. This piece serves as a reminder to celebrate the small things in life and groove through the hard times together. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
ArtistStatement: “"I wanted to create that glowy summertime feel. One of those nights where you can hear crickets, see lightning bugs, and are warmed by the company you’re with."
Large mural located on the exterior of the Madcap Coffee building by award-winning Michigan-based artist Pat Perry, whose work can be found across the globe. Using a muted color palette, the artwork depicts therianthropes (part human, part animal) reading.
This eye-catching artwork uses fun elements like bright colors, whimsical dogs on bikes, and stylized forms that celebrate the liveliness of Eastown. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
Artist Statement: "I enjoy creating work that reflects the space it is in and can connect with the local community. I'd say my mural work is all about that: community."
This collaborive mural along the retaining wall portion of the children’s playground at Wilcox Park was completed by artist George Eberhardt with the support of teen artists Daniel Cornejo and Railyn Eaddy from West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology (WMCAT). The mural was created with input from Eastown residents.
The 3-way intersection of Lake Drive and Genessee Street are adorned with three ADA-compliant crosswalks painted with colors from different LGBTQ+ flags. The murals were initiated as a permanent installation for Pride Month in 2022 and are repainted annually with support from the Eastown Community Association.
Mural located on the West side of Yesterdog features a historical advertisement for Kohler Aviation which offered flights from Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Milwaukee.
Freshly painted mural on the east side of the historic McKendrick Building, this "Eastown" mural features some of the neighborhood's most iconic buildings. It was commissioned by Eastown Community Association as an Artprize 2024 entry.
Artist Statement: "I was inspired by those old school city postcards, and wanted to create one for Eastown with a funky fresh glow up! I love Eastown. I used to live here!"
Sculptural gate commissioned by Eastown Business Association, located in the Billys Alley. The steel gate depicts clouds, mountains, and rain drops. It is powder coated in bubble gum pink.
The mural on the east-facing wall of Uncle Cheetah’s Soup Shop depicts a ferocious wild feline winding through a bamboo forest. Originally painted in 2021 and reworked in 2022.
This bright and colorful mural on the east wall of the Wealthy Animal Hospital was created by renowned Caribbean artist Erick Picardo whose artwork adorns more than a dozen walls across Grand Rapids. The image depicts people interacting with animals and reflects the artistic style of his earlier artworks.
ArtistStatement: "Creating a piece of art is about sharing the way I experience the world."
This bold mural by Michigan artist Cameron Klingenberg depicts a vibrant sunset over water, framed by silhouetted pine trees. The piece is located on the south side of the Paddle North building. It is the artist's first mural.
This exterior mural on the east side of the Scorpion Hearts Club coffee shop illustrates how caffeine evolved in plants to help pollinators remember a plant's location across different seasons. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
ArtistStatement: “Public art is a universal language. Like music and facial expressions, public art can transcend literacy, education level, cultural background, and social class. With public art, I can make ideas available to people who may not otherwise feel comfortable in a science museum (a lot of reading) or an art museum (kind of elitist; way too air conditioned)."
Located behind the building. A collaborative mural led by Dennis Nagelkirk and 6 other artists (Carrie Andrews, Ruby Miller, Teresa Zbiciak, Jason Rood, Julia Greenway and Colleen O’Donnell), this piece tells the story of the war refugee migration from multiple African countries to Grand Rapids. The project was part of his GVSU Summer Scholars Program in partnership with the now-closed African Community Center, which provided vital services to refugee families.
This storm drain mural is part of the "Project Storm Drain" initiative that brings arts & activism together to raise awareness of the need for healthy waterways in our community. The project is managed in partnership with the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) Adopt-A-Drain Program, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, and many local artists.
This storm drain mural is part of the "Project Storm Drain" initiative that brings arts & activism together to raise awareness of the need for healthy waterways in our community. The project is managed in partnership with the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) Adopt-A-Drain Program, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, and many local artists.
The mural concept is inspired by two female-owned businesses inside the building, The Chartreuse Sisters and Basic Bee Boutique. The confident, stylish ethos of Basic Bee, paired with the inspiring origin story of Chartreuse Sisters, sets the tone for a female-forward concept about sisterhood, empowerment and leadership. The design style is a playful, modern interpretation of French Art Deco shapes, and will render the female imagery in a stylized, inclusive way.
Mural commissioned by Will Warren, owner of Grey Rabbit, as a gift to the Grand Rapids community. The self-taught artist’s work combines graffiti style and fine art with elements of abstract expressionism, ethereal surrealism, and his signature psychedelic aura flare. Depicts a woman blowing a dandelion.
Mural completed for Brewery Vivant, a craft brewery famous for its old world processes. The imagery celebrates the similarities between the internal and external world. Located in the parking lot. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
Located on the second story of the Cherry Inn restaurant. This piece addresses internal and external trauma healed through radical self reflection and mindfulness. Each element within this painting is mirrored to express the connection our internal mind has with our external environment. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
Artist Statement: "My work expresses how visual art can be used as a tool for healing. When we are able to look at ourselves from a different perspective, what do we see? What do we like and not like? Where is there darkness, where is there light? Orbs mirrored on each side represent the pit of darkness that exists within everything and everyone. As one travels through “Rewire,” they are taken on a journey of self reflection, acceptance and recreation. We have the power to rewire our own minds and with that, heal our world. Who do you want to be? Do you truly believe in that version of yourself or the world? How will you rewire your reality?"
This storm drain mural is part of the "Project Storm Drain" initiative that brings arts & activism together to raise awareness of the need for healthy waterways in our community. The project is managed in partnership with the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) Adopt-A-Drain Program, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, and many local artists.
This storm drain mural is part of the "Project Storm Drain" initiative that brings arts & activism together to raise awareness of the need for healthy waterways in our community. The project is managed in partnership with the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) Adopt-A-Drain Program, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, and many local artists.
Located in a pedestrian alley. The artist and owner of Books and Mortar came up with the idea for this mural based on the book "Annihilation" by Jeff Vandermeer. The mural includes quotes from Annihilation such as: "I found something miraculous, something that uncovered itself with its own light."
This mural was funded by Herman Miller Cares and was part of the East Hills Loves Congress initiative, a partnership between the East Hills Council of Neighbors and Congress School. The full installation includes the retaining wall of the parking lot located at the NW intersection of Diamond and Baldwin.
Psychedelic mural on the east side of Black Napkin. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
ArtistStatement: “As a full-time artist, my time is devoted to the exploration of ideas, imploring new techniques and mediums, as well as familiar ones to create art that connects with each evolution of the self. I create art because I have been gifted the life to be able to do so, through the hard work of generations of relatives, and to stay true to a promise I made to myself as a kid to never stop playing with my toys. Whether those toys be action figures or pieces of wire and clay, there is a story that is asking to be told."
Mural on the north side of Black Napkin in the artist's signature black and white style based off of early 1900’s cartoons. Created in partnership with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts.
Artist Statement: "My artwork functions as a space to just allow folks to feel relaxed and happy."