gerald R Ford airport Murals | grand Rapids, MI 2024
Plants native to West Michigan painted along the 14 berms (12 painted in 2024 and an additional 2 added in 2025) leading up to the airport. The 14 murals are like field sketches made giant, as if I had just come from sketching in the woods.
These ‘field sketches’ greet visitors, and welcome Michiganders home. Each specimen was chosen from specific habitats of West Michigan and color-coded to match—green for woodlands, tan for dunes, blue for wetlands, white for plants found in a variety of environments. I used limited color schemes so that the works enhanced their space without being overly distracting to drivers.
Berm lengths vary from 50’ long to 200’+ long.
Images Credit: Bryan Esler
Mural 1 | Celandine Poppy
white linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 2 | Northern Blue Iris
blue linework mural on north facing berm
Mural 3| Celandine Poppy + Bearberry
white linework and ochre linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 4|Woodland Phlox
green linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 5|Hairy Puccoon
ochre linework mural on north facing berm
Mural 6|Canadian Anemone + Common Juniper
blue and ochre linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 7|Hairy Puccoon + Putty Root
ochre and green linework mural on north facing berm
Mural 8|Swamp Rose
blue linework mural on north facing berm
Mural 9|Wood Nettle
green linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 10|Swamp Rose + Goldenrod
blue and white linework mural on north facing berm
Mural 11|Wood Nettle + Sand Cress
green and ochre linework mural on south facing berm
Mural 12|Goldenrod
white inework mural on north facing berm