Two fresh murals have landed in Collinwood and Ohio City, pushing Cleveland's public art push to 11 installations. The new pieces come from local artists Tessa LeBaron and Naijal “DAYZWHUN” Hawkins, and they add to a project that has been splashing color across the city's buildings since 2023.
According to News 5 Cleveland, Destination Cleveland added the two works to its “Murals Across the City” project. The news was also reported by WKYC, which covered the unveiling of the Ohio City and Collinwood pieces.
Lake Erie and Euclid Beach Park Inspire the Collinwood Piece
LeBaron's mural sits at 706 E. 185th Street in Collinwood. The report says her work was inspired by the natural beauty of Lake Erie, along with Euclid Beach Park.
The Ohio City piece takes a different canvas. Hawkins, who goes by DAYZWHUN, transformed the exterior of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Welcome Center at 1701 W. 25th Street, the same account notes.
Why Cleveland Keeps Painting Its Neighborhoods
Destination Cleveland says on its own program page that it created Murals Across the City “to add to our neighborhoods' places of interest and encourage visitation.” Freshwater Cleveland reported in March that the program is deliberately designed to uplift and recognize the city's underserved areas and less-traveled neighborhoods.
That fits a pattern noted by The Land, which described the tourism group as using vivid, large-scale art projects to spotlight the city's more overlooked neighborhoods. In 2024, The Land reports, the project erected six murals, including work in communities such as Slavic Village and Detroit Shoreway.
From Six Murals to Eleven
The project's roots stretch back to September 2023, when News 5 reported that Destination Cleveland had chosen six local artists to create public art in six different neighborhoods. In a follow-up report, the station said those artists were chosen out of 150 artists, and that all six murals were complete by November 2024. The locations ranged across Detroit Shoreway, Slavic Village, West Park, St. Clair-Superior, Old Brooklyn and Lee-Harvard.
Freshwater Cleveland's March coverage quoted the program as having nine installed murals at that point, and the two new works bring the count to 11. The same piece noted a shift in method: “Last year, and this year, we're doing heat applied vinyl.”
More Color Coming in 2027
The project isn't done yet. Another “Murals Across the City” artwork, by Nathalie Bermudez, is scheduled to be installed at the Pivot Center for the Arts by spring 2027, the News 5 report says.
