Missoula Downtown Foundation Launches Second Downtown Mural
Missoula Downtown Foundation Launches Second Downtown Mural Of The Summer In Partnership With TrailWest Bank And Artist Kelsey Dzintars
The Missoula Downtown Foundation (MDF) has partnered with artist Kelsey Dzintars and downtown property owners TrailWest Bank and the Missoula Downtown Association to create a large art mural on the Downtown Headquarters Building at 218 E Main Street.
Produced by the Foundation’s Arts & Culture Impact Grants program, the mural will span over 30 feet in length, 18 feet in height, and display a picturesque natural landscape of common Missoula landmarks. Artist Kelsey Dzintars noted in her application that “the mural will include imagery featuring elements of the Clark Fork River as a central feature of Missoula’s landscape, culture, and history.”
Dzintars is a Graphic Design graduate of Montana State University. She is an experienced artist with prior works displayed across Bozeman, Montana and at Highlander Beer in Salmon, Idaho.
“It’s great to see the second round of murals takeoff this summer,” said Travis Neil, President of the Missoula Downtown Foundation and Project Manager for Dick Anderson Construction. “The more we continue to foster and support big displays of art in the Missoula community, the more this place will look, feel and act like Western Montana’s cultural hub.”
Artist Kelsey Dzintars began work on the project Monday, July 8 and will look to complete the piece by Sunday, July 14, weather permitting. The mural will be painted on the north facing wall of 218 E Main Street in the alleyway. Pedestrian traffic will not be affected by the continual progress of this mural during the week.
“It’s exciting to be a recipient of this grant program and to get the opportunity to paint a large scale piece of art in Missoula,” said artist Kelsey Dzintars. “Outdoor murals are a unique artistic medium in which the art is commissioned by private funds but the end product is publicly displayed for all to enjoy.”
The Arts & Culture Impact Grants program was created by the MDF in 2023 with the intent to partner artists with building owners and funding to create destination artwork and implement goals of the Downtown Master Plan and its subsets, including more art, placemaking, alley activation, and gateway improvements. This mural is the second project of the summer funded by the Foundation with additional contributions from the property owners.
Myer Zins, representative of TrailWest Bank, states “the art installation on our Downtown location is a welcomed addition to our building and bank. TrailWest Bank continues to focus on building loyal, long-term relationships based on trust, prosperity, and community. This piece, displaying the natural beauty of the valley in which we operate, is a welcomed treat for our clients, Missoulians and tourists alike to enjoy.”
These projects are made possible in part due to generous gifts from Missoula Downtown Foundation donors. Folks interested in supporting the Arts & Culture Impact Grants program are encouraged to donate online at donations.missouladowntown.com.
For more information, visit missouladowntown.com/missoula-downtown-foundation/ or contact the Downtown Missoula Partnership staff via phone (406) 543-4238 or email ([email protected]).