Painting on the Union Silos Public Art Project in downtown Minot has officially begun to create North Dakota’s largest public mural.

A group of local residents commissioned Australian-born visual artist and photographer, Guido van Helten, to transform the retired grain silos at 318 1st St. NE into a larger-than-life portrait of the community as the next stop on the artist’s multi-state Monuments project. After spending months photographing, interviewing residents and learning about the community over the last year, van Helten created a design inspired by the Minot area.

“A project of this scope and scale has an incredible impact on the Minot community,” organizer Chelsea Gleich said in a news release. “This will serve as a tourist attraction and help create a sense of place for the community. Plus, it will be a beautiful backdrop to everyday life in our city that reflects and celebrates the people who live here.”

Van Helten specializes in large-format mural painting. His artwork is found on concrete structures around the world, including high-rise buildings, dams, grain silos, water towers and parking structures. Since the completion of an artwork in Nashville in 2017, van Helten has steadily added new works on former industrial structures throughout the United States. His works include large-scale murals created through storytelling, photography and community engagement that can be found in Fort Dodge, Iowa; Mankato, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; Faulkton, South Dakota; McKinney, Texas; Fort Smith, Arkansas; and Salina, Kansas. The Union Silos Public Art Project in Minot will be the featured work for the state of North Dakota.

“Minot is an arts hub for the state of North Dakota,” said Tim Baumann, another local organizer, in the release. “It seems only fitting this community should represent our state in this collection and help draw people here to see Minot’s vibrant culture and arts industry.”

Silo art projects have grown in popularity, becoming important attractions in recent years as tourists look for new, unique experiences; and rural communities look to revitalize fallow infrastructure, according to the organizing commission.

“My work is often focused on the specialized architecture, spaces, people and places in regional communities,” van Helten said. “Often overlooked due to their rural nature, it is a privilege to be able to get to know these small towns on a deeper level. Minot has been no different. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people here, and I’m looking forward to immortalizing the spirit of this area through this mural.”

The mural will span all four sides of the silos, visible from vantage points across the city. Work will continue throughout the summer with an estimated completion date of fall 2025. The design for the mural has been approved by the local project organizers, but the final design will remain a mystery to the community until it’s complete.

“Keeping the final mural design a surprise allows residents and visitors to be part of the process throughout,” said Cole Krueger, a local organizer. “As you watch the mural grow and change by the day, you can form your own interpretations of what you see and guess what is coming next.”

The overall project and fundraising effort have been named the Union Silos Public Art Project, a nod to the name (Farmers Union Elevator Co.) painted on the north facing side of the property and the central role that agriculture plays in the history of Minot and the surrounding area.

The total cost of the project will be $350,000 and is funded completely by grants and donations. Gleich said the organizing commission continues to seek to raise the final $50,000. All donations and financial support are tax-deductible and can be made through the Minot Area Council of the Arts.