BAY CITY, Mich.— Bay City is about to get more beautiful with the inclusion of three more community-painted murals.
The second annual City of Mural Community Festival is a week-long celebration of art, diversity, and community engagement. Hosted by United We Go, founder and president Gina Anayana says that the idea behind the festival is community togetherness.
“We want to bring more public art into the community and bring people together at the same time,” Anayana said.
Nine local, national, and even international mural artists are visiting mid-Michigan to leave their mark on the city.
“Last year, we had over 70 members of the community finish the painting with their handprints and collaborated and co-painted with the artists,” she said.
Three professional artists will work together at each of the mural sites, combining each of their unique art styles together into a permanent art installation within Bay City.
The locations are:
- Indie Spot: 48 ft. x 12 ft. mural, 1321 Broadway Street
- Unclaimed Freight Ace Hardware: 40 ft. x 13 ft. mural, 706 E. Midland Street
- Buoy 18: 60 ft. by 9 ft. mural, 960 E. Midland Street
This year, United We Go is inviting local students to help with painting the murals. If you are interested, email the organization at info@unitedwego.org.
The community festival is not only painting.
On August 19th, the festival will be kicking off with a muralist meet and greet at Willew Lounge. From 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., enjoy live music, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction, and delicious food and drinks.
A portion of the proceeds go towards United We Go City of Mural Community Festival.
On August 22nd, you can beat the heat with a Bubble Foam Party. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the intersection of East Midland Street and South Lynn Street will be transformed into a bubble paradise! This event is open for all ages.
“At a festival, having fun- there’s no age limit, right?” she said. “You could be 2 years old and come painting with us, or you could be 70 years old.”
United We Go is hosting a fashion show in downtown Bay City on August 25th. The theme, “I AM YOUTH”, is celebrating Bay City youth’s passion and style.
The show will be at Buoy 18 at 5:30 p.m.
“We want to create that organic community engagement through one event at a time, and a mural festival and a fashion show are ways we can bring people together,” Anayana said.
Finally, the murals will be unveiled at Dry Dock from August 28th to August 31st.
“Art doesn’t have good or bad. A lot of things have good or bad, but with the arts, it depends on how you interpret that,” she said. “It brings a lot of creativity, and it also beautifies the city.”
The community festival will run from August 19th until August 31st.
“Our neighbor cities, our sister cities like Saginaw, Midland and Flint, have a lot of murals going on. In Bay City, we want to hop on the train,” she said.
After the festival, one more location in mid-Michigan will be even more colorful.
