Artstorm 2025

Murals find their way on to some unusual spaces, including street crosswalks, communication boxes and walls and windows in the downtown. And now drain grates and catch basins will be getting a makeover with murals painted by local artists Victoria Taava Ericks (an example is above) and Maricela Tapia as part of a creative way to spiff up grates across the region while highlighting environmental messages.

The two artists will paint 17 murals on grates in 17 communities across Mid-Michigan. They recently started painting murals at installations near Spartan Stadium and the Veterans Memorial Gardens in Delhi Township.

Artstorm 2025 is a joint project of the Tri County Regional Planning Commission and the Greater Lansing Regional Committee for Stormwater Management. It’s funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Each installation will provide an educational message to engage tri-county residents. The murals are one of the many ways in which area communities collaborate to reduce stormwater pollution and improve waterway health.

Communities having their grates touched up are Dewitt, Lansing, East Lansing, Grand Ledge and Mason along with Meridian, Delhi, Delta and Dewitt townships.

You’ll also see other installations completed by the Ingham, Eaton and Clinton drain commissions and the Lansing and Waverly school districts.

A video will record the installations’ progress and underline the importance of drains in the scheme of directing water from storm runoff.

The Arts Council of Greater Lansing is managing the ArtStorm project, which is expected to be completed by August.

Expect to see frogs and other creatures peeking out from the drain grates or maybe even Michelangelo from the Teen Age Mutant Turtles hanging out at a catch basin.

BILL CASTANIER

Public Art of the Week is a new feature that rotates with Eyesore of the Week. If you have an idea for either, please email eye@lansingcitypulse.com or call (517) 999-6704.