Cultivate Creativity: Bringing Public Art to Caro

Cities gain value through public art – cultural, social, and economic value. Public art is a distinguishing part of our public history and our evolving culture. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas. Public art is freely accessible. American cities and towns aspire to be places where people want to live and want to visit. Having a particular community identity, especially in terms of what our towns look like, is becoming even more important in a world where everyplace tends to looks like everyplace else. Places with strong public art expressions break the trend of blandness and sameness, and give communities a stronger sense of place and identity. When we think about memorable places, we think about their icons – consider the St. Louis Arch, the totem poles of Vancouver, the heads at Easter Island. All of these were the work of creative people who captured the spirit and atmosphere of their cultural milieu. Absent public art, we would be absent our human identities.

To see a full list of Caro murals and locations, please visit this page.

We are looking for artists to contribute the following:

- Large scale murals painted on full walls (up to $7,500 stipend)

- Pieces of smaller painted spot art (up to $2,000 stipend)

Please note that final stipend will be based on size of wall selected for each mural; the above estimates are given to give artist a rough idea of our project budget but are subject to change based on interest and size of walls submitted by property owners.

Our Cultivate Creativity Committee will review all artist and property applications and determine the best fit for our projects in 2026. Compensation will be provided to selected artists for time, supplies, and services rendered.

Selected artists must complete their murals by September 30, 2026.

*Due to the current events, we will only consider international artists that are currently residing in the US. We do not have the ability to bring artists in from outside the country at this time.*

If you are located within the Caro community, you are eligible to apply to have a mural painted on your building as part of the Cultivate Creativity project!

The committee reviews location applications on size, condition, material, visibility, and proximity to other murals. All property owners that are selected must give final written approval of the design by the artist we select. If our chosen artist doesn't vibe with your vision, you can always postpone until next year!

Property owners are responsible for getting their wall ready for art, if repair is needed. They are also responsible for a small portion of the cost of the mural.

The Caro community is a wonderful small city with so many spaces just waiting for gorgeous public art. Whether you can paint, host, or admire, we would love for you to take part in our project.

Thanks to our great donors, we are were able to commission 4 small murals and 1 large mural for the 2024 season. Thank you to the Rotary Club of Caro, the William & Ruth Janks Fund of the Tuscola County Community Foundation, the Caro Downtown Development Authority, Nancy Thane, Theron W. Atwood Sr. American Legion Post 7, Linda Mason, Al & Dolly Jones, and Northstar Bank.

Our mural 'Glowing Grace' has been completed by artist Rich Ayers and can be found in Trudeau Square, 145 N State St. It features a Bioluminescent Hydrangea.

Bioluminescent Hydrangea by Artist Rich Ayers

Our mural 'Butterfly Effect' has been completed by artist April Cutler. It is located in Trudeau Square at 145 N. State Street.

Our mural 'Guardian of Ideas' has been completed by artist Ward Donovan. It is located in Trudeau Square at 145 N. State Street.

Our mural 'Lil Miss Behavin' has been completed by artists Billy Budd and Johnnie Martinez. It is located in Trudeau Square at 145 N. State Street.

Our large mural 'Embark' has been completed by artist Kevin Burdick. It is located on the side of the Continental Home building at 362 N. State Street. This historical piece tells the story of how Caro became the county seat of Tuscola County. When Tuscola County was founded, Vassar was the county seat. In 1860, the County Supervisors began discussing that the county seat should be more centrally located. For six years, a battle raged about where the county seat should go and what should happen. In 1866, it was finally decided that Centerville (soon to be Caro) would become the county seat. Peter Bush, one of the first colonial settlers, recognized what an opportunity this would be for Caro. He donated property to the county and built a courthouse. When this was complete, they sent word to Vassar that things were ready and that they should send over the county documents. Vassar declined; they wanted to remain the county seat. After months at a standstill, Peter Bush took things into his own hands. He asked his friend Ashdonquit, an indigenous resident otherwise known as Crossing Cloud or “Indian Dave” to help. Under the dark of night, they paddled downstream in a canoe on the Cass River to Vassar, acquired the documents, and rowed back upstream. The documents were secure in the new courthouse by morning. That is the story of how Caro became the county seat. This mural 'Embark' was created to honor the legacy of those men and tell the story of how history has shaped Caro‘s future.

2025 Mural Season

Thanks to grants from Rotary District 6310, the William & Ruth Janks fund, the List Family Fund, the Butch & Mutzie Ortner fund, the Thumb Area Center for the Arts fund, and the Rotary Club of Caro fund of the Tuscola County Community Foundation, along with donations from Nancy Thane and Dolly & Al Jones, we were able to bring 4 large murals to Caro during 2025.

Kansas City, MO artist Norm4eva painted 'Hearts and Horizons: a stellar harvest' on the rear side of 344 N. State Street, facing the municipal parking lot.

Saginaw area artist John Vasquez painted 'From the Sky to the Sea' at 415 W. Frank Street.

Flint area artist Kevin Burdick returned to Caro and painted "A Craft Passed Down" on 201 N. State Street.

"Years ago, a town pharmacy was many things: apothecary, alchemist, and a place where knowledge was passed down. This mural ‘A Craft Passed Down’ honors those in the pharmacy field, those who did and do care for a town, and those who pass down knowledge. This building is now known for George H. Moore, long time owner of Moore Drugs. He began learning his craft in this very building under pharmacist William O. Luce during the early 1900s, as portrayed in the upper right-hand corner. Artist Kevin Burdick has given us a glimpse into that era."

International artist Venazir Martinez painted 'Threads of Discovery' on 200 E. Frank Street.
"There is a red thread that guides us that stretches across time, space, and
memory, connecting us through our shared histories, questions, and
identities. In Caro, Michigan, that thread finds a new weft in a town that has
grown from its early beginnings as a logging camp on the Cass River in 1847
into a thriving agricultural hub and close-knit community. Caro is a space for
discovery, innovation, and creativity; qualities that mirror the very nature of
the movement of the red thread.
As a street muralist and visual anthropreneur, I have dedicated my life’s work
to painting these connections—intertwining the narratives of people, places,
and poignant markers that define communities. Born and raised in the
Philippines, I founded Hilabana, meaning “woven path” in 2018 to explore the
intersection of tradition and transformation. Through my journeys across
continents, I’ve mapped stories of memory, migration, belonging, and
identity.
The journey of discovery is quiet, tactile, and intergenerational. This mural
encapsulates those moments: individuals in a perpetual quest for
understanding, exploring the history of Caro, rebuilding from its logging camp
origins into a vibrant playground, and weaving agricultural threads from corn
husks and sugar beets all linked by the red thread. These acts of learning,
reflection, and creation serve as forms of discovery that connect us across
generations and cultures.
Caro becomes part of a global tapestry that reminds us that no matter
where we come from, we are all bound by the stories we uncover, the futures
we imagine, and the questions we dare to follow."