Overview:
Across the Twin Cities, murals celebrating nature, migration, pollinators and ecosystems are transforming city walls into living connections between urban communities and the natural world.
“Spring Creek Symphony” by Taylor Berman, 2024
Located at Cocoon House on University Avenue in St. Paul, this mural pays tribute to the life surrounding streams. The creatures that swim through them, soar above them, and dart along their banks. Trout glide through the current as prey to the eagles looming nearby, while those same trout hunt the dragonflies hovering around them. The composition captures nature’s web of dependence in a single, sweeping scene.
Monarch Butterfly Migration by Roger Peet and Barry Newman
Located in Midtown Minneapolis, this mural honors the endangered Monarch Butterfly and the enduring spirit of migration. For many immigrant communities in the Twin Cities, the butterfly has become a powerful symbol of transition, and a reminder that movement and resilience are woven into the fabric of identity.
Together We Grow by Greta McLain
Spanning 3,000 square feet across the exterior of La Mexicana Grocery at the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis, this striking mural uses tiles, glass, and mirror to bring butterflies and a soaring eagle to life. The eagle carries a line from a Spanish poem: “Traveler, there is no path. A path is made by walking.” The materials shimmer and shift with the light, making the piece feel alive with movement.
Mountain Murals by Erin Sayer
Stretching the full span of its wall, this monolithic piece captures the scale and grandeur of a mountain range. Located on East Lake Street, it serves as a tribute to the identity and heritage of the neighboring Himalayan Restaurant. It is a visual anchor for a community far from home.
Out Catching Butterflies by Rock “Cyfione” Martinez
On the side of a building at 4700 1st Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis, this playful mural imagines dinosaurs on the hunt for butterflies. Their famously tiny arms, ill-suited for the task, require nets to even stand a chance. It’s a lighthearted piece that invites a double-take and a smile.
Together in Bloom by Kada Goalen
This expansive mural at MidCity Kitchen bursts with color, flowers, leaves, and berries rendered on a grand scale. Created as part of the Chroma Zone Mural and Art Festival, the piece was brought to life with the help of students from Avalon School, making it as much a community effort as a work of art.
Behind Flavors by Lynda Grafito
At 725 Raymond Avenue, this mural is a celebration of the pollinators that make our food possible. Vibrant and purposeful, it draws a direct line between the health of ecosystems and the flavors on our plates, and serves as a quiet but urgent reminder of what is at stake as pollinator populations continue to decline.
Anya Armentrout is a freelance journalist, a student at Macalester College, and a contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.