LOCAL stories from WVPE's news team

Mural Mania again beautifying public-facing South Bend walls

WVPE 88.1 Elkhart/South Bend | By Jeff Parrott

Published July 27, 2026 at 4:35 PM EDT

Mural Mania curator Alex Allen poses in front of the mural she says is her favorite this year. "Flower" by Richmond, Va.-based artist Nico Cathcorn, is an 80-foot-tall image of her friend using the American Sign Language word for "flower." Allen says she plans to ask the Guinness Book of World Records whether it's the world's largest image of someone using ASL. — Mural Mania curator Alex Ann Allen poses in July 2025 in front of the mural she said was her favorite last year. "Flower" by Richmond, Va.-based artist Nico Cathcorn, is an 80-foot-tall image of her friend using the American Sign Language word for "flower."

On Saturday Aug. 1 at 11 a.m., Allen will lead a free walking tour of this year's mural sites. Those interested should meet at the pictured mural, which is the southeast corner of the Colfax-Main parking garage.

Downtown South Bend’s Mural Mania kicks off this week for the fifth straight year.

This year’s Mural Mania, again organized by muralist Alex Ann Allen, will bring new murals to the Trigon Building, City Hall Garage, a former Studebaker building on South Main Street, the Leighton Garage, and a commercial building-turned-church on Lincoln Way West.

The artists will work from Wednesday through Sunday. They’re coming from South Korea, New York, California, Memphis and Chicago. They’re being paid with money from the city, The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, some downtown businesses, and the University of Notre Dame.

Downtown South Bend Inc. president Willow Wetherall says the event beautifies the city but it’s also big for marketing. Over 400,000 people combined follow the artists on social media.

Wetherall marketing :15 … “When you have people from around the country and around the world coming to work in South Bend and then sharing that work outwards to that audience, I think it’s just incredibly powerful to help a much, much broaden community understand the transformation that’s happening in our city.”