Bright Walls

Bright Walls was a public art and mural festival founded and run by volunteer members of the Jackson Young Professionals from 2018-2022. The festival hosted artists from across the world, bringing 75 world-class murals to the downtown district of Jackson, Michigan. Though the festival has ended, the murals are still there for people to see and enjoy, hopefully for years to come.

I chose a chilly Sunday morning to walk around downtown Jackson and see the murals for myself, something I had been meaning to do for some time and just never gotten around to.

There was very little traffic on the roads, and I think I was the only foot traffic that morning; 20°F weather is not everyone’s cup of tea.

The murals were gorgeous and well worth the cold walk. I loved discovering new works of art around every corner; it was like a very colourful scavenger hunt.

Jellyfish mural by Zach Snyder of Jackson, Michigan. Portrait mural by Detour of Denver, Colorado.

The murals added so much to the area; I don’t normally enjoy the city, but I absolutely loved exploring that part of Jackson. I love to see people taking things that would normally be overlooked and making them into something beautiful.

Mural by Irene Lopez Leon of Barcelona, Spain.

I stood and stared at every mural I came across until I was too cold to keep standing still. Every artist brought something different and unique, and every one spoke to me in a different way.

If you ever visit Jackson, I highly recommend setting aside a couple of hours to walk around downtown and explore the Bright Walls murals.

Mural by Kevin Burdick of Flint, Michigan.

I really genuinely wish that I could experience this more often. I wish that this was not a unique experience and that every city that I went to was covered in artwork.

Mural by Erin Miller Wray of Los Angeles, California.

I cannot describe in words the delight that I felt upon turning a corner and glancing across the street to see a giant pigeon staring down his nose at me.

Mural by Adele Renault of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

I was particularly determined to find the mural done by Rhiannan Sibbald. We met when she was hired to do a mural at Kids ‘N’ Stuff Children’s Museum in Albion, MI. I love her work; she has a focus on bold colours and happy, optimistic images and messages.

Mural by Rhiannan Sibbald of Sault St. Marie, Michigan.

I hope that someday I get the chance to contribute something to make the world a more beautiful place. I think that’s all most people really want: to not just leave a mark that says, “I was here,” but to leave something that says, “I mattered,” no matter how small it is.