Brush the Block Mural Festival: FULL SCHEDULE

Art That Moves You!

Brush the Block is a mural festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan, presented by Consumers Energy and hosted by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Our festival will bring together artists to create murals throughout the city.

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2025 Brush the Block Mural Festival Schedule of Events

TUES 9/2 

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Mural Painting

All Day                           Community Window Paint Project, Unity

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Information & Merch Tent ACGK

3:00 – 8:00 PM               Salvador Troli

7:00 – 8:30 PM               Opening Reception @ Black Arts and Cultural Center

WED 9/3 

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Mural Painting

All Day                           Community Window Paint Project, Unity

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Information & Merch Tent ACGK

3:00 – 8:00 PM               Salvador Troli

6:00 – 7:30 PM               Public Art Panel Discussion w/Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission

THURS 9/4 

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Mural Painting

All Day                           Community Window Paint Project, Unity

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Information & Merch Tent ACGK

3:00 – 8:00 PM               Salvador Troli

12:00 – 1:00 PM             Panel Discussion: RFQs, RFPs & Applying for Public Art Opportunities

6:00 – 8:00 PM               Live Music + Art @ Northside Association for Community Development ft. The Skeletones brought by Sounds of the Zoo

6:00 – 8:00 PM               Community Art Project, Imagine That!

FRI 9/5

3:00 – 8:00 PM               Mural Painting

All Day                           Community Window Paint Project, Unity

3:00 – 7:00 PM               Information & Merch Tent ACGK

3:00 – 9:00 PM               Salvador Troli

5:00 – 8:00 PM               Art Hop

6:00 – 7:30 PM               Public Art Tour with Lynn Houghton

5:00 – 8:00 PM               Live Music + ART in Bates Alley ft. Nathan Moore Affair brought by Sounds of the Zoo

5:00 – 8:00 PM               Community Art Project, Imagine That!

SAT 9/6 

10:30 AM                       Brush the Block Open Roads Mural Bike Tour

12:00 – 5:00 PM             Mural Painting

All Day                          Community Window Paint Project, Unity

12:00 – 5:00 PM            Information & Merch Tent ACGK

12:00 – 7:00 PM            Salvador Troli

2:00 – 8:00 PM               Brush the Block Day Party in the Haymarket Plaza

12:00 – 3:00 PM               Community Art Project, Imagine That!

SUN 9/7 

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM       Closing Celebration at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

Descriptions of  Events

Mural Painting will happen live Tuesday, September 2, through Saturday, September 6. Artists will work throughout these days but are guaranteed to be painting during the designated time for each day.

The Information & Merch Tent will be located at the corner of Kalamazoo Mall and South Street during the festival. The schedule reflects what time this will happen each day. We will also offer information and merch at live music events and the opening and closing receptions.

Salvador Troli, sponsored by Discover Kalamazoo!, is a trolley service running Tuesday, September 2, through Saturday, September 6, offering free transportation for the public to view all our mural locations! This trolley route takes you through downtown Kalamazoo and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Brush the Block Opening Reception takes place on Tuesday, September 2, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM at the Black Arts and Cultural Center located at 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 102. The opening reception will offer food and beverages in an open house style with an opportunity to meet the mural artists!

The Public Art Panel Discussion w/Kalamazoo County Public Art Commission will take place on Wednesday, September 3 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM in the Joliffe Theatre at  359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, on the second floor of the Epic Center. This special edition of the Kalamazoo Public Art Commission will include a brief board meeting, panel discussion with mural artists, and Q & A to learn all about public art in Kalamazoo County.

RFQs, RFPs & Applying for Public Art Opportunities is a lunchtime panel discussion facilitated by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo at the Epic Center on Thursday, September 4, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. During this discussion, visitors will learn all about the process of finding Calls for Artists opportunities and how to apply to RFQs (Request for Qualifications), RFPs (Request for Proposals), and public art applications. The panelists for this event are:

Stacy Davison, Downtown Development Authority Coordinator – Texas Township

Mary Kenney, Arts Committee – St. Thomas More Student Catholic Parish, Kalamazoo

Emma Master, Program Director – Edison Neighborhood Association

The Community Public Art Project, Imagine That! is a Louise Nevelson-inspired project for all and anyone in our community to enjoy! Participants will glue small wood pieces and found objects to a 10” x 10” wood piece. They will then spray the whole piece with one chosen color of water-based spray paint. The theme “Imagine That!” invites our community to dream big and create freely. It’s about using imagination to explore new ideas, reimagine the world around us, and bring creative visions to life. Whether playful, hopeful, or visionary, this theme celebrates the power of art to express what’s possible when we dare to dream. These items will be 3D and revealed at the Closing Reception at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

The Public Art Walk with Lynn Houghton is a 90-minute tour on Friday September 5. You are welcome to join for the entire walk or jump in and out at your leisure. During this walk we will be looking up, down and all around to find those pieces that decorate our spaces and our buildings, all of which add to the uniqueness of our downtown. There is no cost for this special tour event. Lynn Houghton is the Regional History Curator at the Zhang Legacy Collections Center on the campus of Western Michigan University connecting people with the information they need especially relating to local, regional and state history.  Her public programming includes a variety of presentations including walking tours held during the summer and fall.  She is the co-author with Pamela O’Connor of the book Kalamazoo Lost and Found, contributes to Encore magazine and taught Michigan History for WMU.  She also participated in the PBS series, “10 that Shaped America” focusing on the Kalamazoo Mall.  She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history from WMU and a master’s in library and information science from Wayne State University.

At Art Hop, local artists, organizations, and businesses showcase artistic work that brings the Kalamazoo community together around a shared love of arts and culture. As always, Art Hop on Friday, September 5, is free for the public to attend and takes place in downtown Kalamazoo and in surrounding neighborhoods. Visit www.kalamazooarthop.org for more information.

The Community Window Paint Project, Unity will take place in participating businesses and organizations in downtown Kalamazoo and surrounding neighborhoods. The theme “Unity” celebrates the strength, beauty, and connection that come from coming together as a community. Through this window art project, we invited artists to express what togetherness means—whether it’s family, friendship, diversity, support, or shared hopes. Painting on windows symbolizes openness and visibility, reflecting how our unity shines out into the world. Each piece becomes part of a bigger picture, showing how individual voices and styles come together to create something meaningful and whole. You can view this wonderful window art throughout the festival September 2 – September 7. Maps will be available on our website at www.brushtheblock.com and at participating businesses.

The Brush the Block Mural Bike Tour will meet at Open Roads Bike Program, 914 E. Vine St. Kalamazoo, MI 49001, at 10:30 AM with a departure time of 11:00 AM. We will ride a route near downtown Kalamazoo that will see all the murals on an approximately 4.5-mile route. Riders can get safety checks before the ride at the Open Roads building. All riders are asked to wear closed-toed shoes and helmets suitable for biking. Parking is available at the Open Roads building, which will be the start and end point of the ride.

Get ready for a vibrant afternoon of music, art, and community at the Brush the Block Day Party! Join us in the Haymarket Plaza (139 N Edwards St, Kalamazoo, MI) for live performances by DC & The DC Quintet with special guest DJ Boogie. Enjoy a lively atmosphere filled with food and craft vendors, all brought to you by the Beautifully Unique Foundation, the Monroe-Brown Foundation, and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

The Brush the Block Closing Reception will take place on Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM to 1:00PM at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S Park Street. During this closing event, we will thank and highlight all that came together to make Brush the Block an incredible festival, including the mural artists, sponsors, partners, volunteers, the City of Kalamazoo, and many more! The remarks will begin at 11:45 AM followed by the big reveal of Imagine That! Our Community Public Art Project. Food and beverages will be provided, and the galleries will be open to the public beginning at noon.