‘The Sisters’ Traverse City Mural Festival 2025 | Traverse City, MI 2025

Two designs of native plants on opposite walls that reflect and mimic one another. Freehand as always, the paint drips are a part of experience. It shows that a real live human made this!

After researching plants that grow along the TART trail network, I spoke with local experts to get their insights on what plants to include in the murals (big ups to Sarah, who even though she was super sick with the flu called me back on her personal phone from home to talk plants.) I chose a fantastical arrangement, they don’t all bloom at the same time in reality, but in murals they do. These plants are all native to the Grand Traverse region and can be found along the TART trails, especially around Boardman Lake. The plants float against an abstracted background meant to recall the waters that are so abundant and so vital to the Traverse region identity.

Plants portrayed include: Sand Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata (yellow/orange), Northern Blue Flag Iris Iris versicolor (purple/blue), Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata (white), Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum (white/pink). Cup Plant Silphium perfoliatum (yellow)