Check out the New Permanent DIA Mural in Downtown Rochester

Besides the Magical Mural Tour in downtown Rochester, there is another artful masterpiece gracing the walls in Rochester. The Detroit Institute of Arts, the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, and the Rochester Downtown Development Authority have joined together to bring Rochester visitors a fabulous community art experience that has been in the works for over a year. Rochester residents were given a choice of a mural versus a sculpture and even the ability to give ideas for themes. And the result is a great fit for downtown Rochester!

The DIA’s Partner in Public Art program helps create a community-driven, highly visible public work of art to express the unique stories and interests of the community. The process after the residents voted had the PCCA creating a list of local mural artists that was sent to the DIA. The DIA then narrowed the list and chose the artist that would do justice for the community’s vision. Once the artist is chosen, they submit three mural compositions to inspire the final design chosen.

The location chosen for the art mural is right downtown, where people pass by it every day. You can’t help but notice the colorful mural, and it is a great distraction when you are sitting in traffic downtown. The purple and white herons, fish, and monarch butterfly look lovely on the geometric background of green and blue. The artist did a great job with the fish looking like they are underwater and the butterfly sitting on lilacs.

the DIA Mural in RochesterHeather Raulerson

Now here is where I get a bit frustrated with hoodlums (no other word for it). The blank wall was prepped for the artist, and I can assume that taggers decided to make their own art on the wall. It looks like they tried to clean the graffiti off the wall before the artist started their mural. Looking at the mural, you can see the graffiti underneath the mural in the lighter areas. For the most part, it isn’t distracting, but how disheartening for the artist to have that under their artwork and still be seen if you look closely.

With this first art mural, I hope it garners the attention for more murals to be added around the city. Many blank walls could be transformed into colorful masterpieces that any street art fanatic would love to discover. And who knows, downtown Rochester could end up as a destination for street art that could rival downtown Detroit.

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