Grand Rapids art doesn't just live in the museums, it's also part of the structure of the city, transforming walls, streets, parking lot ticket booths, electrical boxes and other utilitarian elements into vehicles for artistic expression. That’s one reason USA Today named Grand Rapids 1 of the 10 Best U.S. Cities Where You Can See Amazing Art.
There are more than 100 murals on display throughout the city, many commissioned by local organizations and others driven by the imagination and will of individual artists. Some downtown murals are past ArtPrize entries – created expressly for the global art competition that takes place in Grand Rapids every year and is now a permanent part of the city’s creative DNA.
You can use the links below to plot a self-guided tour of murals in different city neighborhoods – complete with suggested meal and refreshment breaks – or to get information about a specific mural you happen upon while you’re out and about in the city. If you’d like a guided tour, both Tours Around Michigan and Grand Rapids Running Tours conduct art excursions incorporating street murals. (GR Running Tours also offers walking tours.)
These tours will give you a feel for the breadth and richness of our public art scene, which also features iconic art spots (including La Grande Vitesse, the first public art piece funded by the National Endowment for the Arts), sculptures of community legends and three annual art-focused gatherings: World of Winter (Jan. 10 - March 2, 2025) , featuring massive art outdoor art installations from across the globe; Festival of the Arts (June 6-8, 2025), a three-day street party celebrating all manner of arts; and the aforementioned ArtPrize (Sept. 18 - Oct. 4, 2025), the world’s most attended art event.
