MPRB Parks for All Mural Project

Overview

MPRB has launched a mural project that will beautify park walls, celebrate the park system and park users, help reduce the amount of graffiti in the park system, reduce reactionary maintenance efforts required for graffiti removal, and collaborate with local artists. Installing murals is a proven method to reduce or eliminate tagging or vandalism. Nine artists have been selected to install artists in 2023. The artists are nationally and internationally renowned and all have local ties to Minneapolis. Each artist was paired with a site and a goal from Parks for All, the MPRB Comprehensive Plan to represent in their mural.

Rock Martinez @ Windom Park Warming Hut representing Goal 8: Cultivate a thriving workforce

Jacob Dwyer @ Franklin Steele Park Building representing Goal 2: Steward a continuum of nature and recreation

Aaron Johnson-Ortiz @ Restroom Building at Powderhorn Park representing Goal 1: Foster belonging and equity

Kao Lee Thao @ Boom Island River Wall representing Goal 7: Connect through communications and technology

Thomasina TopBear @ Bde Maka Ska Wall representing Goal 6: Strengthen ecological connections

Xena Goldman @ West River Parkway Retaining Wall representing Goal 9: Operate a financially sustainable enterprise

Constanza Carballo @ Van Cleve Pump House representing Goal 5: Expand focus on health equity

Melodee Strong @ Cleveland Park Restroom Building representing Goal 3:Provide core services with care

Jacqui Rosenbush @ Harriet Trolley Tunnel representing Goal 4:Work from our strengths and determine our role in partnerships

The mural locations, represented in the map will be finalized according to the following criteria:

• Visible to the public
• Based on walls or sites in need of routine maintenance related to graffiti removal
• Located in highly visited spaces
• Owned and maintained by the Park Board
• Distributed across all five service areas
• Aligned with master plan
• Includes surface or material compatible with mural medium
• Recommended by community and staff

In 2023, the murals will be focused on the new  MPRB comprehensive plan, Parks for All . The murals will bring the pages of the plan to life in the parks, build awareness about MPRB's vision, and foster a culture of accountability to the new vision by shining a light on the new community informed goals.  All mural concepts and sites will be developed in collaboration with local artists and MPRB staff. The nine goals include:

1. Foster belonging and equity
2. Steward a continuum of nature and recreation
3. Provide core services with care
4. Work from our strengths and determine our role in partnerships
5. Expand focus on health equity
6. Strengthen ecological connections
7. Connect through communications and technology
8. Cultivate a thriving workforce
9. Operate a financially sustainable enterprise

Maintenance

The mural locations will be prepped with a base coat by the MPRB Painting Crew and sealed with a graffiti prevention seal coat. A plan will be established for restoring murals if any damage occurs for the determined life span of the mural, generally for 10 years. If substantial damage occurs or the base structure is removed from damage or park improvements, the murals will be removed. The murals will be owned and maintained by MPRB, with gratitude to the artists.

The sites that were selected are specific sites in the MPRB system that are frequent targets for vandalism that require countless hours of labor each year to remove and repaint. It is estimated that each of the proposed sites requires approximately 15-20 labor hours of maintenance related to graffiti removal annually. Over the past four years, MPRB has spent an average of $133,000 annually on graffiti removal in our parks, of which approximately 20% goes toward supplies. Responsive removal of tagging and vandalism also presents staff scheduling challenges, interrupts routine maintenance patterns, and can be very time consuming work that is hard on morale.

Funding and Administration

Funding will be provided by a mix of sources including MPRB operations funding, donations from community and neighborhood organizations, and grants. The call for artists and contracting with artists is being administered by a local non-profit arts organization,  Forecast Public Art . Thank you to Forecast Public Art for supporting our parks and artists!

Van