Nonprofit kicks off crowdfunding campaign for five murals

ArtNonprofit

Jun 9

Written By Staff

Lowell Arts has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund Muralocity, a series of five murals coming to downtown Lowell. The public is invited to donate on through July 31. If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $25,000, Lowell Arts will receive a matching grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)’s Public Spaces Community Places program – doubling every dollar raised.

Muralocity is Lowell’s first project as part of a new Public Art Initiative, with a total budget of $100,000. This project will bring five community-driven murals to historic downtown Lowell, activating public spaces,

telling the story of the community, and bringing a creative identity to the riverfront town. Lowell Arts has identified five sites that balance visibility, accessibility, and distribution across town. Four of the five murals are slated for completion in August 2026. The fifth mural will be a part of Lowell Arts’ 50th anniversary celebration in 2027, with its theme to be shaped in partnership with the community.

Through a competitive artist selection process drawing 197 applicants from across the country, four artists have been selected for Muralocity: Christopher Catalogna (Fort Wayne, IN), Wendy Popko (Sterling Heights, MI), Tess Marhofer (Fife Lake, MI), and Sitki Dogan (Royal Palm Beach, FL).

"Muralocity launches five murals at once, creating a bigger mark on our community than we ever thought possible, and we hope it is only the beginning. The timing of the MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places Program was an exciting catalyst: we had begun stepping politely into our role as the leader of Lowell's Public Art Initiative, but this dollar-for-dollar match challenged us to jump in with a splash," said Janet Teunis, Executive Director of Lowell Arts.

Muralocity is organized by Lowell Arts in partnership with Lowell's Downtown Development Authority (DDA), with initial support from the Lowell Area Community Foundation and the DDA. With the support of the Public Spaces Community Places crowd-granting program, the project will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowd funding campaign that the MEDC and the Michigan Municipal League announced on June 3.

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC.

“Community recreation and public art are great examples of placemaking efforts that meet public demand and needs while creating more connected and vibrant communities at the same time,” said Paula Holtz, Managing Director for Regional Development at the MEDC. “We are proud to provide resources for these efforts through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

To donate, visit: https://www.patronicity.com/project/public_art_in_lowell_muralocity#!/.

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