Muralists Arvin Davis, Jr., Cera Pignet, Tessia Samuelson and Max Patzner were at Citizens Alley to talk about their works at an event featuring food and music on Thursday, Aug. 28.

Patzner, a musician, writer and painter, has created a number of indoor and outdoor murals around Minot and in other cities. He created a welcoming entrance mural for Citizens Alley. He said he envisioned the Arts in the City’s Thursdays Downtown events in painting the mural that runs along the lower edge of a wall.

“We’re all under these twinkle lights, and it’s the community, the citizens, saying ‘hello,’ and food trucks. There’s people walking their dogs, music and art. It tells a little story,” he said. “It’s a night in Citizens Alley. Everyone is very happy – just a happy vibe.”

Arvin Davis Jr. also created a mural that runs along the lower part of an inside wall, along a walkway front. The original 43-foot proposal turned into 150 feet of art space to fill, but he was fortunate to have a design in mind that was expandable, he said.

Jill Schramm/MDN What looks like abstract design is a map of Minot on a concessions trailer, painted by artist Tessia Samuelson.

Davis, who has a few other murals in downtown Minot, said his Citizens Alley painting was meant to get people talking about what they see.

“It’s like a conversation. Conversations always fill space,” he said.

Davis, who describes his paintings as abstract realism or imaginative realism, also said the mural reflects his view of North Dakota, having once worked a job that had him traveling across the state.

“A lot of my story is in here. I don’t know how to paint without it being personal, but it’s finding the beauty and the absurdity. It’s chaotic, but it all makes sense to me,” he said. Whether others see the conversation that’s happening or just appreciate the color and flow of the design, the hope is they slow down, take a look and start conversations.

The Citizens Alley mural was a seven week project, completed on and off as his schedule allowed.

“It was an odyssey, of course, but happy to have had the opportunity,” Davis said.

Samuelson and Pignet created digital art to wrap equipment trailers in Citizens Alley.

Samuelson’s artwork on a concessions trailer looks like colorful abstract art from a distance, but a closer look reveals a map of Minot.

“I was just trying to think of something that would be locally driven,” she said of developing the design. Once people realize it’s a map, they examine the art further to try to locate landmarks, such as the university campus or zoo, she said.

Samuelson said she enjoys painting but has taken an increased interest in graphic design. Samuelson holds a degree in art education and teaches at Magic City Discovery Center, where she has a mural on display.

Pignet went with a flora and fauna theme, researching the state’s native plants and animals to include in her design.

“It was very interesting to get to learn about a lot of the native animals and plants,” she said. “I had some photo references that I took at Lake Darling. So, the landscapes are set at Lake Darling.”

She said she chose the theme because of the number of families who bring their children to Citizens Alley.

“Maybe they will have something a little more ‘North Dakota,'” she said. “It’s colorful. I tried to imbue a little personality in the characters.”

Pignet does physical artwork, too, but much of her art is digital. She once worked for a company commissioned by the National Park Service to do T-shirt designs.

“That’s where I learned how to do it, and then I just transferred those skills over when they approached me to do the wraparound,” Pignet said. She also does commission work in creating logos and T-shirt designs.

Citizens Alley is a quasi-public plaza operated by the nonprofit Local Motives. In addition to the artwork, the plaza that officially opened this summer features pop-jet foundations, a sports court for pickleball or basketball, space for a mobile performance stage and farmers/artisans market. In the winter, the sports court will transform into an ice rink sized for two curling sheets, children’s hockey rinks or public leisure skating and ice bumper cars. It is located south of Central Avenue, between First Street Southeast and the railroad tracks.