Vacant to Vibrant
Murals on otherwise drab buildings and walls are brightening downtown Hagerstown
Interview by Angie Youngblood
The ‘We Create’ mural near Meritus Park is a long mural of individual works by 10 artists: Alexandra Garcia, Andy Matthews, Christopher Scott, Halle Cooper, Layton Scarbrough, Matt Long, Michael Kirby, Norah Snyder, Tim Cunningham, and Tracie Thompson.
How did the project originate?
The National Mural Awards partnership originated through Jason Tetlak, the executive director for the National Mural Awards. He participated in 2025 Hagerfest Music & Art Festival as a muralist and thought our festival and downtown Hagerstown would be a great place to host the awards, especially with the Main Street Program and Hagerstown Arts & Entertainment District’s continued investment in public art, creative placemaking, and downtown revitalization efforts.
Brittany Arizmendi is the director of Hagerstown’s Office of Community Engagement.
Over the last several years, the district has strategically expanded murals and public art installations along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail and throughout downtown to create a more walkable, visually engaging environment. Hosting the 2026 National Mural Awards during Hagerfest was a natural extension of that vision—bringing nationally recognized artists, arts professionals, and visitors into downtown Hagerstown while showcasing the city’s growing reputation as a regional arts destination.
We were grateful to be selected as the 2026 host city as this project was designed not only as an arts initiative, but also as an economic development and tourism strategy that activates public spaces, supports local businesses, and strengthens community pride.
How were the artists and locations selected?
The artists selected for the National Mural Awards installations are nationally recognized muralists connected to the awards program and invited to participate as part of the festival and mural week activities.
Locations were carefully chosen throughout the Arts & Entertainment District and along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail based on visibility, walkability, architectural compatibility, and the opportunity to create impactful public-facing artwork. Consideration was also given to property owner participation, surrounding business activity, pedestrian traffic, lighting, and how each mural could contribute to the broader experience of the district.
Australian muralist Damien Mitchell.
Were there any specific technical or creative hurdles during the process?
As with many large-scale public art projects, coordination and logistics were significant components of the process. Some mural locations presented technical challenges due to narrow alleyways, varying wall textures, accessibility for lift equipment, and the need to coordinate installation schedules within active downtown spaces.
Creatively, there were also thoughtful discussions surrounding mural concepts to ensure they aligned with the character of the surrounding environment, adjacent businesses, and the broader vision for the Arts & Entertainment District. Collaboration between artists, property owners, and organizers was essential to ensuring each mural felt authentic to both the artist’s vision and the community context.
Is this part of the Cultural Trail, and what other projects are currently in the works?
Yes. Several of the murals are located directly along or connected to the Hagerstown Cultural Trail, which serves as a major corridor for arts, culture, events, and public gathering within downtown. The Cultural Trail continues to evolve as a creative placemaking initiative featuring murals, public art, lighting, landscaping, and community programming.
Additional projects in development include new public art installations, alleyway enhancements, beautification initiatives, expanded wayfinding, interactive art experiences, and the continued growth of trail-based programming and events. The district is also working on initiatives that incorporate local history, artist engagement, and community storytelling into public spaces.
“The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents, visitors, businesses, and artists have expressed excitement about the transformation taking place throughout downtown.”
—Brittany Arizmendi
What feedback or response have you received from the community?
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents, visitors, businesses, and artists have expressed excitement about the transformation taking place throughout downtown. The murals have generated significant engagement on social media, increased foot traffic along the Cultural Trail, and created a renewed sense of energy within the Arts & Entertainment District.
Community members have shared appreciation for seeing nationally recognized artwork in Hagerstown and for the city’s investment in arts and culture as part of revitalization efforts. Many local businesses have also noted increased visibility and visitor activity during mural week and festival programming.
How do you envision the public interacting with the murals?
The murals are intended to be highly interactive and accessible public spaces that encourage exploration, creativity, and community connection. We envision them serving as photo destinations, gathering spaces, landmarks along the Cultural Trail, and conversation pieces that encourage residents and visitors to explore downtown more deeply.
Social media engagement is a major component of how modern public art is experienced, and these installations naturally lend themselves to photography, short-form video, and user-generated content. The murals also help create a stronger visual identity for downtown Hagerstown and contribute to the district’s marketing and tourism efforts.
As the public art network continues to grow, there are opportunities for expanded digital engagement, trail maps, QR-code storytelling, and hashtag campaigns tied to the murals and surrounding destinations.
Who are the Mural Artists?
Devona Stimpson is a Filipino-American artist and creative entrepreneur based in Houston. She has developed a distinctive style that seamlessly blends realism with abstraction. Her journey into art began in college, when a single painting class ignited her passion and set the foundation for her career. Devona built her first website in fourth grade and mastered coding and design throughout school—skills that continue to influence her artistic approach.
Damien Mitchell is based in Australia and has been a professional mural artist for more than 15 years, producing work on structures up to eight stories tall and the length of city blocks. His work has been published in several books and academic papers on public art. He has created murals for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MTV, Doctors Without Borders, The Mi Sangre Foundation, DKNY, Google, and Michelle Obama, among many other music and art festivals in more than 30 countries around the world.
Sophy Tuttle’s work celebrates and promotes culture-building between humans and all other forms of life. Often vibrant and dynamic, these murals are a way to begin conversations within the community about our relationship with nature and the ways in which we both conflict and collaborate with our fellow creatures. Now based in Boston, she began painting murals while living in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she learned from local activists and artists. Her work can now be seen from Massachusetts to Colombia.
Christian Stanley’s art is often influenced by his roots and love for the wildlife of the Southeast. From an early age Christian, who is based in Florida, sought out natural settings for inspiration, and continues to enjoy hiking and wildlife spotting with his wife, Jessica. He paints dozens of murals a year with his largest project covering more than 8,000 square feet. His street art is known for its signature “dash and dot” style, which borders on impressionism to give his subjects depth and vibrant color.