The Downtown Traverse City Association (DTCA) will host a "a self-guided, all-day creative crawl celebrating public art, local culture, and downtown businesses" called Community Canvas on Saturday, January 17. The event will include the unveiling of a new Downtown Community Mural.

The mural will be placed at the Front Street entrance to the Larry C. Hardy Parking Deck. "Designed and facilitated by Look Wonder Discover, the mural is the culmination of more than 400 art contributions created by community members of all ages," according to a DTCA release. "Those contributions were sparked at September’s Downtown Art Fair and continued through pop-up art activations produced by Look Wonder Discover, in collaboration with Crooked Tree Arts Center, and ultimately came together as a lasting piece of public art."

Community Canvas as billed as an "asynchronous, walkable experience, allowing visitors to participate at their own pace throughout the day," the release states. "Attendees can follow a curated map of public art and activations, discover downtown spaces through a creative lens, and engage with participating downtown businesses offering their own experiences along the way."

As part of the day’s programming, Crooked Tree will host its Winter Exhibits Opening Reception from 3pm to 5pm at 322 Sixth Street featuring work by more than 250 artists. The free public reception "offers another opportunity for visitors to connect with regional art and artists while enjoying a day immersed in creativity," according to the DTCA.

Community Canvas is free and open to the public. A map highlighting the mural, public art, and participating locations will be available online closer to the event date.

Photo credit: Look Wonder Discover