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MEDC - Michigan Economic Development Corporation

04/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/14/2025 13:59

Crowdfunding Campaign Launched for the 2025 Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival in Grand Rapids

$37,500 goal to win matching grant through MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places initiative

Photo Credit: A Sanchez

LANSING, Mich. - Grand Rapids will soon be home to a uniquely themed biophilic mural festival, resulting in the creation of a vibrant public art gallery at the Front Avenue underpass downtown. This effort will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaignthat the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Pleasant Peninsula Inc. announced today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $37,500 by June 10th, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/pleasant2025.

"This Michigan-centric mural festival will bring international talent to represent local ecology while activating a dreary pedestrian corridor," said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. "We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program."

This campaign will fund the first mural festival in the world themed around local native species and ecosystem conservation. The festival will bring international artists to complete 21 murals through the corridor and allow them to showcase species on the Michigan Endangered Species List. This project will also amplify conservation efforts, champion biodiversity, and promote environmental education through the radically accessible medium of public art.

This project will transform a bleak underpass in a high-traffic pedestrian and transit-served area between the Grand Valley State University downtown campus, the GR Public Museum, and the Blue Bridge pedestrian bridge. This corridor serves as a vital connection between the Westside and downtown core, and creating engaging public art in this space will allow for new use and interest of the underpass.

Photo Credit: A Sanchez

"Pleasant Peninsula aims to revitalize a pedestrian underpass in downtown Grand Rapids, connecting the Westside to downtown by adding a mural gallery featuring native Michigan plants and animals," said Eddie Chaffer, Director of the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival. "The PSCP grant provides us a way to match our community donations, allowing activation of this corridor for the entire community to enjoy for decades. With this fundraiser, we will install 21 murals, celebrate with the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival in late July, and highlight how amazing and vibrant Michigan's conservation and art communities are while celebrating Michigan's treasured ecology."

Public Spaces Community Placesis a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which local 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. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.

"The Michigan Municipal League is a passionate supporter of placemaking projects happening around our state," said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League. "The Pleasant Peninsula mural festival is a wonderful example of placemaking, as it showcases not only the vibrant public arts culture of Grand Rapids but also Michigan's unique ecology and wildlife. These murals will enrich the experience of visitors and residents alike for years to come." 

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of April 8, 2025, MEDC has provided more than $13.7 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 406 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $15.8 million raised from 74,330 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.