Chroma Zone mural festival returns to St. Paul for sixth year

Nine murals by eight artists will take over walls around South St Anthony Park this summer as part of this year s Chroma Zone Mural and Art Festival The festival now in its sixth year has brought murals by artists to buildings around the Creative Enterprise Zone district since organizers say The monthslong mural festival begins next week when Mariela Ajras who painted the mother-and-child portrait mural on The Wycliff building during the inaugural event will paint two additional related murals at the same site to form a triptych Other artists will paint on staggered time frames throughout the summer culminating in a finale weekend in September Here are this year s muralists The specific dates and locations they ll be painting are yet to be disclosed This year s artists Marlela Ajras From Argentina and with a psychology background her work focuses on gender and memory Biafra Inc This muralist and screen printer from the Twin Cities has been creating personal political and punk-inspired art since the mid- s Mike Davis The co-owner of local studio Burlesque of North America he helped launch first a mural festival in St Louis and then in the Chroma Zone Mural Art Festival Ever heard of it Xena Goldman A Minneapolis-based muralist who spent a decade as an educator she channels experiences with neurodivergence and sensory processing difficulties into murals inspired by comic-art styles Cadex Herrera Originally from Belize and now a fine-art lecturer at Creative Arts Secondary School in St Paul he teaches a variety of media and himself works on large-scale constituents art Pablo Kalaka Born in Chile but now based in Minneapolis by way of Venezuela and Spain he s painted murals in nearly a dozen countries over the past two decades including about in the Twin Cities Christina Vang A Hmong-American illustrator and painter she pivoted in from a decade-long career in advertising to focus on creating accessible cultural community art with a social justice focus Anna Charney Based in her hometown of Denver she creates contemporary abstract and colorful paintings and murals inspired by mathematical patterns unveiled in nature Event schedule Monday June Artist talk with Mariela Ajras focusing on Latin American women muralists to p m at NewStudio Gallery Wycliff St Free refreshments provided Thursday Sept Panel discussion and Q A with select muralists to p m at Bang Brewing Capp Road Free food and beverage available for purchase Friday Sept Outdoor Art Block Party with a makers domain society meal and a Lego mural activity with Brian Kelley of Young Builders Designers to p m at the parking lot at Territorial Road Saturday Sept Guided bike and bus tours of the murals Hourlong bike tour bring your own bike begins at a m at Raymond and University avenues but the exact location is TBD Hourlong bus tours run periodically between and p m in both English and Spanish with pickup dropoffs at The Dubliner W University Ave Dual Citizen Brewing Co Raymond Ave The Wycliff Wycliff St exact timing is TBD Find more details online at chromazone net Related Articles Mary Tyler Moore s personal collection including Minneapolis statue renderings up for auction Minnesota artist George Morrison will have first solo exhibit at the Met Five local places to take Mom to see flowers on Mother s Day weekend St Croix Valley Pottery Tour opens Friday at seven different studios Novelist Percival Everett and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins among Pulitzer winners in the arts