What to Expect at Bright Walls in Downtown Jackson This Year

Bright Walls has quickly become a favorite event for Downtown Jackson, Michigan that leaves gorgeous works of art on otherwise "boring" walls throughout the city and gives people something beautiful to look at for years to come.

This year marks Bright Walls' third year of the festival and they have really ramped up the fun.

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When is Bright Walls 2021

The event takes place Downtown Jackson, September 16th through the 18th.

Last year, the year that cancelled everything, meant that the full-on mural festival we are used to here in Jackson did not happen, though they were able to bring in three muralists for what they called "Bright Spots."

This year, Bright Walls is showing they are back and better than ever with installations by artists coming from all over the world.

According to the event flyer on the Bright Walls Facebook page, artists will be coming to Jackson from Spain, England, France, Germany, Michigan, California and more!

Besides just the murals, there will also be plenty of other events and things to see, including another idea for EVEN MORE art!

Art, Entertainment and Fun

New this year, Bright Walls is featuring "Bright Boxes."

"What is Bright Boxes? This year, we are featuring artwork from artists across the globe, installed on large electrical boxes in Jackson, Michigan," Bright Walls shared on Facebook. "It allows us to showcase some talented artists who we can’t host in person due to COVID-19 travel restrictions."

Also on the artist roster are 10 Michigan-based artists who will be painting live, in-person on September 18th.

Two of those artists, I do have to give a special shoutout to, Zach Snyder and Carey Baumgartner.

Snyder is a friend from back in elementary school who studied at Grand Valley and has taken his art and skills to incredible places, including doing a MASSIVE mural for Henry Ford Allegiance hospital in Jackson.

Baumgardner was mine, and my sister's, art teacher during our time in middle school at Hanover-Horton!

There will also be "Bright Spaces" a chance for artists to compete in a "paint battle" during the festival. According to the Bright Walls Facebook, artists "will be painting a ground mural the size of a standard parking space." From there it is up to the public and jury to vote for a chance to win a spot in next year's festival!

Other events at the festival include live music, a magic show, Lip Sync Battle, "Bright Paws" a pageant and parade for dogs, and more!

If you are looking for some fun for the whole family, Downtown Jackson may be the place for you this September!

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