Fresh Waves is an arts initiative facilitated by the Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The purpose of the project is to add vibrant pieces of public art through the downtown that celebrates a diversity of content and styles. The murals don't have a theme; instead, we celebrate artistic freedom and vision.
2025 applications are officially open! Submit by April 20, 2025 to be considered as an artist or location for this year.
View artist and location applications at the link below. Interested artists must submit the Artist Application, examples of previous work, reference from a past commission, and up to three concepts (written or sketches) of what would be painted downtown. The DDA Promotions & Marketing Committee will review applications at the end of April and reach out to artists shortly thereafter. Any property owner within the DDA district is welcome to apply to have a mural painted on the side of the wall. Property owners must give final approval before painting commences.
2024 Artists & Locations
Location: 304 N. Ninth Ave. (Clem’s Bait & Tackle) Artist: George Eberhardt of Grand Rapids, Michigan Artist George Eberhardt starts painting this week on the summer’s next mural, located at Clem’s, that will be visible from the riverfront. This mural is sponsored by The Sunset Project, a local non-profit committed to advancing creative opportunities in Northeast Michigan. “After so much positive feedback from last year’s participation, we are very excited about the opportunity to be involved in the Fresh Waves Mural Project for 2024,” said Nick Poli of the Sunset Project. “This year, we’ve partnered with Clem’s on a mural covering over 550 sq. ft. of exterior wall space, more than doubling the size of last year’s project. The mural will feature a collage of fish species all native to Northeast Michigan and the Great Lakes.” “As Clem’s undergoes new ownership and extensive renovations, this project is a great way for us to participate in the larger development efforts going on across Northeast Michigan through the lens of our FOCUS45 Program. Through this project, we hope to encourage more people to visit the northern edge of Downtown Alpena and bring new life to a long-standing riverfront business that continues to be a staple for outdoorsmen in the region.” |
Location: 615 W. Chisholm St. (Office building) Artist: Eric Karbeling of Honolulu, Hawaii Artist Eric Karbeling will be painting mid-September at 615 W. Chisholm St. in a highly visible wall on the Chisholm St. corridor. According to the artist, “My work evokes a sense of joy, calm, and balance amidst chaos inviting the viewer to get lost in and find inspiration in the way the imagery comes together while forging a stronger connection with the place of the work, just as I do while creating it.” “The experience of painting a mural in a new place is my absolute favorite thing as it allows for creating a truly unique connection with a community in a way I'd never experienced. You really get to feel the heartbeat of an area and forge an intimate connection with unexpected places through being in one spot painting for countless hours and experiencing every interaction that takes place. Beyond that, getting to see immediate reactions from the community, hearing the stories, and talking while painting is inspiration that fuels everything.” |
Location: 108 N. Second Ave. (Colburn Outfitters) Artist: Sydney Compeau of Harrisville, Michigan Harrisville- based artist Sydney Compeau will begin painting this week in the alleyway side of Colburn Outfitters. Her mural will highlight elements of the Lake Huron sunrise and elements of the Michigan State flag, celebrating the natural elements of Northeast Michigan. Her style and mural create more of what she would like to see in the world: “colorful, unexpected moments of wonder.” |
Location: 205 W. Chisholm St. (PIF Cider) Artist: Britt Flood of Chapel Hill, North Carolina Artist Britt Flood previously painted as part of the 2020 Fresh Waves project at Thunder Bay Theatre; unfortunately, the mural was destroyed in the warehouse fire in December 2023. We are thrilled to have her back in late August to paint a new piece on the side of PIF Cider. The artist’s work provides “moments of discovery, connection, and positivity to our communities through public art and placemaking.” Her piece will embody “the spirit of the lake,” mixing muted and vibrant colors that are inspired by the textures, colors, and sunsets of Alpena that the artist experienced while here in 2020. |
Our 2024 Fresh Waves project is supported by a Project Support grant from Michigan Arts & Culture Council. We appreciate their continued support to add diverse and colorful artwork downtown!
2023 Murals
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Location: Harborside Cycle
Artists: Sous La Ciel of Ann Arbor, Michigan This mural was made possible through the support of The Sunset Project, a non-profit focused on fostering creative advancement while being a driving force for mental health awareness. In line with its mission of generating creative advancement opportunities, The Sunset Project committed to providing additional funding for this year’s competition to expand the reach of the Fresh Waves project. The Sunset Project coordinated closely with area business owner Sam Rumbles to find a location for its mural on his building and selected Sous La Ciel as the artist of choice from an outstanding pool of Fresh Waves applicants. The Sunset Project hopes that by providing additional resources to projects such as Fresh Waves, that new talent and opportunity will follow closely behind and benefit the Northeast Michigan community. |
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Location: 133 W. Chisholm St.
Artist: Tim Nijenhuis of Hamilton, Ontario This mural was completed by artist Tim Nijenhuis of Hamilton, Ontario on August 27. Tim was previously part of the Fresh Waves project and painted the mural on the side of Light of Hope Clubhouse in 2022. This mural highlights Jesse Besser and the Besser block machine, which has shaped Alpena's economy. The building is owned by Chris & Missi LeFave, who have been deeply involved in the growth of Downtown Alpena over the years. “Missi and I are excited to be part of the DDA’s continued efforts to showcase talented artists and make our downtown unique and beautiful,” said Chris. |
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Location: 123 W. Chisholm St.
Artist: Steffi Tsai of New York City Artist Steffi Tsai (@haveanicedayy_) painted the back of Rusty Petunias Marketplace (123 W. Chisholm St) this September. From the artist: “As an illustrator and muralist, I find that a majority of my work is heavily inspired by the nature and communities that surround the particular project I am working on. By slowly down, taking notice of local characteristics and pulling inspiration directly from the project’s surroundings, I aim to make the final results unique to the environment in which they will exist. I want to bring bold, colorful and positivity to Alpena bring people together with my mural!” |
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Location: Power boxes near 1st Ave & 3rd Ave
Artist: Mariah Brancheau of Northeast Michigan Mariah Brancheau of Lovely Little Lettering Co. will paint two power boxes that mark the entrance and exit to the alleyway off 1st and 3rd Avenues. Brancheau, who is based in Northeast Michigan, is the owner, artist, and educator behind Lovely Little Lettering Co. Her signature style showcases modern hand lettering, blooming florals, and vibrant colors. From the artist: "As an artist, my purpose for all of my work is that others are inspired to be creative, find joy, and remember that they are loved. As an art teacher, my hope for my students (and all people) is that they would look for beauty and inspiration in everything and would continue to add to the beauty around them. In this mural concept, organic shapes and vibrant colors flood the wall and flowers and leaves bloom around three small but powerful words: You Are Art. The phrase “You Are Art” is a reminder that everyone is beautifully created, that they have a unique purpose, and that they have the ability to create beautiful things. My hope for this mural, (as well as every piece I create) is that no matter who looks at it they take a moment to pause and observe something vibrantly beautiful that ignites the creative spark inside them.” |
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Location: 117 N. Second Ave. (Noise & Toys)
Artist: Michael Ferrarell of Left Handed Wave Ferrarell studied screen-printing at the University of Kentucky and after graduating, honed in on his craft of silk screen printing. At that time, he also took his street art from New York City to Los Angeles and numerous major cities in between. After getting as much unsanctioned artwork as possible, he ended up building Left Handed Wave into a reputable street art entity that included an assortment of apparel, prints, toys, and fine art. After nearly a decade of spreading street art around the states, his focus eventually shifted towards murals and creating art on a larger and more permanent scale. From the artist: “My current mural practice has transitioned to more concept driven murals that are predominantly inspired by location and the different elements contributing to the makeup of that space or community. The aim is to spark community engagement and creative growth through imagery that’s not just aesthetically pleasing, but also educational and representative of the positives within a community.” |
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Our 2023 project is supported by a grant provided by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council
Thanks to their generous support, we were able to complete four full-wall murals and two additional pieces of art! We are grateful for their support to make our fifth year of the project bigger, better, and more colorful than ever! |
About Fresh WavesFresh Waves is an arts initiative facilitated by the Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The project was launched in 2019 with mural artist Aaron Golbeck, an Alpena native who currently works in Colorado as a professional artist. Golbeck came up with the idea to bring fresh mural art to the Alpena community and create something fresh that people can enjoy and get behind. He connected with the Alpena DDA to bring the Fresh Waves project to life, which annually adds vibrant pieces of public art to the Downtown Alpena landscape. He and Denver-based artist Chad Bolsinger painted the first mural as part of Fresh Waves in July 2019 at Family Enterprise Embroidery, located at 211 S. Second Ave, with the support of owners Cristi and Scotty Johnson.
In November 2021, Fresh Waves was awarded a "Best Placemaking Project" through the Michigan Downtown Association for the project's impact on our downtown and community. In 2023 and for 2024, the DDA has received additional funding support from the Sunset Project and the Michigan Arts & Culture Council to expand the project. 2023 was our largest year yet, commissioning 4 large murals and 2 smaller pieces in the alleyway downtown between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Since 2019, 23 pieces of public art have been completed through the project by artists from all around the country. Each year, the DDA allows artists and downtown property owners to apply to participate in the program. Now, our murals have become a source of community pride and a staple of our small town identity. There is no theme for Fresh Waves, instead we want to celebrate art for art’s sake and allow the artwork to shine through without boxing it in. We are looking for artwork that stands out and tells a new story, with fresh perspective. |
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2021 Murals
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In Summer 2021, twelve murals were painted on free-standing structures at the entrance to the City of Alpena Boat Harbor. Eight artists, many of them from Northeast Michigan, painted 1-2 pieces of vibrant artwork each on 4’ wide x 8’ tall structures located on the grassy stretch between the sidewalk and harbor parking lot on Harbor Drive. You can learn all about our 2021 installation and artists by visiting this blog post on Blog Downtown Alpena!
Our 2021 artists included: Danyeal Dorr | Alpena, Michigan Pieces: Falling Water, Dual Shore Hope Reed | Alpena, Michigan Piece: A Sign of Peace Mariah Brancheau | Lachine, Michigan Piece: Summer Samantha Freske | Posen, Michigan Pieces: Branches, An Order of Hope Sarah Bedford | Alpena, Michigan Piece: Rise Tiffany Tracey | Alpena, Michigan Pieces: Valor, Hold On Angelina Villalobos | Seattle, Washington Pieces: Dragon, Color Jungle |
2020 Murals
In the summer of 2020, the DDA commissioned TWO murals in downtown locations.
2019 MuralThe 2019 mural was completed by artists Aaron Golbeck & Chad Bolsinger. Both artists kicked off the first year of our Fresh Waves project!
Alpena native Aaron Golbeck repainted the mural in July 2024! The new design features a young boy imagining playing an NHL game, encouraging those who walk or drive by to dream big. |
FAQs
What is the "theme" of Fresh Waves?
There is no theme for Fresh Waves. So often public art is used as a vehicle for other agendas or to promote a specific business or agenda. While there is nothing wrong with using art for those purposes, that is not the motivation behind Fresh Waves: The Downtown Mural Project. The purpose of Fresh Waves is to celebrate art as art, for art's sake. Fresh Waves is meant to honor creative freedom and bring fresh new fine art to the downtown landscape. Art that exists for its own purpose, to make you feel something, to make you ask questions. So there is no "theme" that drives Fresh Waves, but instead a mission to bring beautiful, one of a kind artwork by professional artists.
Do you have a map of all the mural locations downtown?
Yes we do! We have two versions available that can be downloaded or printed below:
How do you choose artists? Who chooses the artists?
Each year, artists are able to apply to paint a mural as part of our Fresh Waves project. Artists are asked to fill out a short application, describe why they want to contribute to the Fresh Waves project, submit a resume, share a few examples of their work, and include up to three concepts for a mural to paint downtown (written or sketches). Professional artists with mural experience are preferred, and if artists without mural experience apply and are selected, one of our previous mural artists from years may be available to act as a mentor to help the artist execute their vision.
Artists are selected from the submitted applications by the DDA's Promotions & Marketing Committee which consists of 8 - 10 members of our downtown community that serve on the committee year-round and also help make decisions on downtown events and the general marketing of the downtown experience. Ultimately, the major factors in the decision are the designs/mock-ups submitted, cost, and experience.
Once an artist is chosen, DDA staff will confirm with them and pair them with a downtown wall and property owner for approval of a final design.
How do you choose locations? Who chooses the locations?
Locations are chosen through a similar process as artists. Locations are also reviewed and selected by the DDA's Promotions & Marketing Committee which consists of 8 - 10 members of our downtown community that serve on the committee year-round and also help make decisions on downtown events and the general marketing of the downtown experience.
The major factors in determining location are the size, condition, material, and geographical location of the wall. Building owners submitting applications to be a location should also understand that because Fresh Waves is a celebration of creative freedom, they ultimately do not get to dictate the content of the mural in any way. The committee will rank the locations that applied. The DDA staff will then follow up with the locations in the order they were ranked to show them the mock-ups. Building owners will either accept the design as is, or reject the design and we'll move down the list of locations until the design is accepted.
I've never been to Alpena, can I still apply?
Yes! We encourage any and all experienced artists to apply for consideration. You do not need to be from Alpena or be associated with Alpena to apply. We love seeing all the different and unique perspectives that people from around the country have brought to our community. Past artists have been Alpena natives returning home, artists from Michigan and artists from other states. All are welcome to apply!
Do I need mural painting experience to apply?
Preferably, yes, AND if you submit a design we really love we may be able to pair you up with a past mural artist to bring your vision to life and help you gain the experience. This of course depends on their availability and your willingness to learn.
How are artists compensated as part of Fresh Waves?
Selected artists are of course compensated for their services rendered as part of Fresh Waves! Compensation depends on the size of wall and experience, and includes travel, supplies, and lodging. Once we select an artist (or artists), we work with them to determine an appropriate compensation amount to bring their vision to life in Downtown Alpena-- within the given budget for each year's project as part of the overall DDA budget. If you have any specific questions about compensation, please contact DDA Executive Director Anne Gentry at [email protected] or 989-356-6422.
There is no theme for Fresh Waves. So often public art is used as a vehicle for other agendas or to promote a specific business or agenda. While there is nothing wrong with using art for those purposes, that is not the motivation behind Fresh Waves: The Downtown Mural Project. The purpose of Fresh Waves is to celebrate art as art, for art's sake. Fresh Waves is meant to honor creative freedom and bring fresh new fine art to the downtown landscape. Art that exists for its own purpose, to make you feel something, to make you ask questions. So there is no "theme" that drives Fresh Waves, but instead a mission to bring beautiful, one of a kind artwork by professional artists.
Do you have a map of all the mural locations downtown?
Yes we do! We have two versions available that can be downloaded or printed below:
- Postcard-sized walking tour of those in the downtown core. Printed copies will be available soon for pickup at the Alpena Chamber, DDA, or CVB. View here.
- Mural directory that has info about each mural, including words from the artists. This can be printed from any standard printer or viewed digitally. View here.
How do you choose artists? Who chooses the artists?
Each year, artists are able to apply to paint a mural as part of our Fresh Waves project. Artists are asked to fill out a short application, describe why they want to contribute to the Fresh Waves project, submit a resume, share a few examples of their work, and include up to three concepts for a mural to paint downtown (written or sketches). Professional artists with mural experience are preferred, and if artists without mural experience apply and are selected, one of our previous mural artists from years may be available to act as a mentor to help the artist execute their vision.
Artists are selected from the submitted applications by the DDA's Promotions & Marketing Committee which consists of 8 - 10 members of our downtown community that serve on the committee year-round and also help make decisions on downtown events and the general marketing of the downtown experience. Ultimately, the major factors in the decision are the designs/mock-ups submitted, cost, and experience.
Once an artist is chosen, DDA staff will confirm with them and pair them with a downtown wall and property owner for approval of a final design.
How do you choose locations? Who chooses the locations?
Locations are chosen through a similar process as artists. Locations are also reviewed and selected by the DDA's Promotions & Marketing Committee which consists of 8 - 10 members of our downtown community that serve on the committee year-round and also help make decisions on downtown events and the general marketing of the downtown experience.
The major factors in determining location are the size, condition, material, and geographical location of the wall. Building owners submitting applications to be a location should also understand that because Fresh Waves is a celebration of creative freedom, they ultimately do not get to dictate the content of the mural in any way. The committee will rank the locations that applied. The DDA staff will then follow up with the locations in the order they were ranked to show them the mock-ups. Building owners will either accept the design as is, or reject the design and we'll move down the list of locations until the design is accepted.
I've never been to Alpena, can I still apply?
Yes! We encourage any and all experienced artists to apply for consideration. You do not need to be from Alpena or be associated with Alpena to apply. We love seeing all the different and unique perspectives that people from around the country have brought to our community. Past artists have been Alpena natives returning home, artists from Michigan and artists from other states. All are welcome to apply!
Do I need mural painting experience to apply?
Preferably, yes, AND if you submit a design we really love we may be able to pair you up with a past mural artist to bring your vision to life and help you gain the experience. This of course depends on their availability and your willingness to learn.
How are artists compensated as part of Fresh Waves?
Selected artists are of course compensated for their services rendered as part of Fresh Waves! Compensation depends on the size of wall and experience, and includes travel, supplies, and lodging. Once we select an artist (or artists), we work with them to determine an appropriate compensation amount to bring their vision to life in Downtown Alpena-- within the given budget for each year's project as part of the overall DDA budget. If you have any specific questions about compensation, please contact DDA Executive Director Anne Gentry at [email protected] or 989-356-6422.
