Last updated on January 5th, 2025
See what’s new and revisit favorites in Saint Paul’s Chroma Zone mural district.
“Garden Buddies” by the women of Few & Far.
The Chroma Zone Saint Paul mural district boasts more than 50 Chroma Zone murals, as well as other murals and street art. And more murals are added every year. With so much public art in one place, you can easily spend a whole day just going from one mural to another. But don’t spend all your time looking at street art, as this is also great place to check out local shops, grab a bite to eat, and try a local beer.
What is the Chroma Zone?
Despite the name, the Saint Paul Chroma Zone (or maybe ChromaZone) is actually a mural festival, not an actual place.
This annual mural-making event occurs in an area officially known as the Saint Paul Creative Enterprise Zone. The CEZ is both a specific place and a non-profit organization. As an organization, they are involved in lot of activities that support the area’s arts community and spur economic development. The Chroma Zone Mural Festival is just one of those activities.
Most of colorful street art in the CEZ, but by no means all of it, was created as part of the Chroma Zone festival. But murals and other street art in this district are funded in a variety of ways. That includes funding from public agencies, arts groups, individual business owners, and even Kickstarter!
Images from the area’s past cover nine garage doors in a mural project the local Burlesque Public Works Division’s artists funded through Kickstarter!
But when it comes to seeking out cool murals, most of us don’t really care who funded it. (Even if we probably should.) We just want to see the coolest murals around. And for that, the Chroma Zone is the place to be!
Not every mural in this part of Saint Paul was created through the Chroma Zone festival. However, “Chroma Zone” is a cooler name for a mural district than “Creative Enterprise Zone,” so that’s what I’m using to describe both murals created as part of the festival and the part of Saint Paul where you can find them and others.
Discover the largest collection of murals in Saint Paul
While you can find exterior wall murals of all sizes throughout Saint Paul, most are in the Chroma Zone area. Currently, the area boasts more than 60 outdoor murals. And that number is always increasing, thanks in large part to the Chroma Zone Festival.
Chroma Zone festival murals
Murals created as part of the Chroma Zone Mural and Art Festival are scattered throughout this part of Saint Paul. The festival began in 2019, funding work by artists from the neighborhood and surrounding area, New York, California, Argentina and Norway. That first festival led to the creation of 12 murals. And, unlike so many activities that closed down during COVID, Chroma Zone funding kept artists creating murals. As of now, more than 50 exterior wall murals have been created as part of the festival.
You’ll find cool murals along streets and parking lots on buildings housing all types of businesses. You’ll even find a growing collection of colorful murals on garage doors!
#16 Mural on the Metal Treaters Building by WUNDR & Roe
This untitled 2020 mural by Minnesota artists WUNDR & Roe is on the side of the Metal Treaters building. Amid the potted plants, it features images of objects inside the building and in the surrounding area.
While photographing this mural, I had the good fortune to meet someone who works in this building.
She explained the artists took time to tour the building and learn a bit about the company’s business. That effort shows up in the items included in the mural: Tools, a glimpse of the company’s hoist, and random items that sit on employee desks. There’s even a reference to the train that runs nearby.
The woman I talked to was delighted with the mural. She appreciated that the artists took time to learn about the business and its employees, and then used that in creating the mural. And she was happy it has plants, something otherwise sorely lacking here.
(And yes, she also explained what Metal Treaters does. One of those odd specialties that you don’t know exists unless you are in a business that needs that service!)
#14 “The Afrocentric Spectrum” by Reggie Le Flore
While the Metal Treaters building is located in a more industrial area, a lot of murals cover blank walls along parking lots. Many of these are right off busy University Avenue. (If you ride the light rail Green Line, watch for murals all along the route, but especially in this area near the Saint Paul/Minneapolis boundary.)
“The Afrocentric Spectrum,” a 2020 mural by Minneapolis-based artist Reggie LeFlore.
MPLSart.com has a story on LeFlore and some of his projects in the Twin Cities.
# 26 “Our Common Threads” by Kao Lee Thao
But you’ll find murals on the side of buildings all over this part of the city.
“Our Common Threads,” a 2021 mural by Minnesota visual artist and 3D animator Kao Lee Thao.
Of this mural, she explains:
Immigration is a transformative experience, for many cultures we carry our traditions and customs to new lands. Hmong women hand sewn our written language with natural elements into costumes with traditional patterns. The patterns of our lives are woven together by the common experiences we share.”
Kao Lee Thao has created quite a number of murals around the Twin Cities metro area. You can see them (and where they are located) on her website.
New Chroma Zone murals for 2023
At previous festivals, I’ve watched mural artists work and talked to a few of them. However, this year, the new murals I checked were already completed. (A few others will be underway during this year’s festival.) I checked on three murals, but I didn’t get a good picture of Michael Engebretson’s garage door (#54) because it was partly open.
Here’s the other two new ones I saw:
#51 Sometimes Water Keeps You Grounded” by Sydney G. James
“Sometimes Water Keeps You Grounded” by Detroit artist Sydney G. James.
As I write this post just days before the Chroma Zone Festival, the website doesn’t have any info on this piece. But the artist has a bit of background on the figure’s shadow, something that perplexed me when I saw the mural. She explains:
That’s cool. And I should have seen that. (Feeling kind of dumb.) It’s wonderful work and I hope to learn more about the central figure and her intriguing tee-shirt.
#49 “Coming Home” by Hend Al-Mansour
“Coming Home” a 2023 mural by Hend Al-Mansour perhaps reflects her own experience as a Saudi Arabian woman living in Minnesota.
Al-Mansour says of this mural:
My mural, “Coming Home,” addresses the issue of immigration with its emotional turmoil for all concerned. The painting depicts two people from different cultures and ethnicities who see each other across a barrier. The American takes a break from reading in her living room, and the other, a woman from the Middle East, carries a suitcase. They examine each other through a telescope. Two styles of geometric design provide the background. The one behind the American woman is a variation of the Log Cabin Quilt pattern. The other consists of a ten-star Islamic pattern. The Arabic word for home is placed twice. There are two images of the head of Lady Liberty looking kindly at the women. On the far right, there are flying flock of birds. There is hope in the complementary colors of the women’s dresses which anticipates harmony and synergy.”
Despite its size, I might have missed this mural.
Fortunately, an employee at the Raymond Avenue Gallery actually took me through the gallery and out the back door so I could see where the mural was, and then showed me where I’d find the best spot to take a picture!
Like my experience at the Metal Treaters’ building, it was great to see that people who work in this part of the city are also excited about these murals. It’s clearly a public art project that enriches the community. It’s not just about attracting visitors.
Other murals in the Chroma Zone area
While the Chroma Zone Mural Festival added more than 50 murals to this part of Saint Paul, you’ll also find other murals in this creativity zone. I’ll feature a couple of favorites, but I have more on my own version of the Chroma Zone mural map. And I’ll keep adding more as I locate them.
Saint Paul history garage doors by the Burlesque Public Works Division
Of these “other” murals, my favorites include the set of murals to either side of (or maybe on) Can Can Wonderland and Blackstack Brewing.
Saint Paul history remembered in garage door murals by the Burlesque Public Works Division.
These garage door murals depict Saint Paul history. They are located just south of the brewery and I’ve returned several times trying to find all of the garage doors closed at the same time!
There’s another set of garage doors to the north of the brewery.
More Saint Paul history murals by the Burlesque Public Works Division.
(The door pictured near the top of this post is also from this set. And there’s one more I don’t have a picture of because it’s always open!)
The Burlesque Public Works Division, led by Wes Winship, created these murals. It was a Kickstarter project, with painting beginning in 2017. I’m not sure when they finished all 9 doors, but it seems it took a few years. Unfortunately, some of the original murals are already starting to peel.
Oddly, information on these murals was hard to find.
I say oddly because Winship, Burlesque of North America, and Burlesque Public Works are well-known in the metro area. Winship and Burlesque Public Works have done lots of murals all in Saint Paul. (They also have murals inside Can Can Wonderland.) And Winship did a Chroma Zone festival mural in 2020 (#18) and is doing one again this year (#53). So, it’s hard to see why there’s so little info out there about these.
While I know some of the history covered by the murals, some of it is a mystery. However, now that I know who did these, I’m going to try to get more information. But if any of you know more, please share in the comments!
“The Bigger Picture Project” by Broken Crow
Most of the murals you’ll find today are relatively recent. I recall a lot of murals going up about a decade ago, but this area has undergone a lot of change since then. As far as I can tell, most murals created much before 2019 seem to be gone.
However, a once-spectacular pair is still mostly visible on both sides of Classic Retro at Pete’s.
A scene from “The Bigger Picture Project” created by Broken Crow in 2012.
This one was one of a four mural set by Broken Crow (John Grider and Mike Fitzsimmons).
Aside from a few historic signs painted on buildings, these may be the oldest murals left in the area.
Take a closer look during the Chroma Zone Festival
While you can see Saint Paul’s Chroma Zone murals any time, the Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival lets you meet some of the artists and see them at work, see and purchase art by Chroma Zone artists, and learn more about the current year’s murals.
Want to see how artists create giant murals? Come to the Chroma Zone mural festival to find out!
Watch mural artists at work during the Chroma Zone Festival
New murals are created each year as part of the Chroma Zone Mural and Art Festival. These days that work usually begins before the festival so most are complete or nearly so when the festival begins.
Besides large murals, the festival also includes an art exhibit featuring current and past Chroma Zone mural artists, art demonstrations, a makers market, opportunities to meet the artists, artist talks, and a bus tour of new murals. And, of course, you can visit any time to see the murals. Visit BEFORE the festival, and you might see the mural artists at work.
At work on “Maritime Law,” a 2019 mural by Chuck U.
Most of the 2024 Chroma Zone festival events will be held September 19-21, although several are scheduled for August.
Artists come from near and far to create Chroma Zone murals
The Chroma Zone Mural Festival engages both local artists (some of whom live right in the neighborhood) and a wide range of national and international artists.
So, some murals, like “Ask Why,” are home-grown works created by local artists and completed with the help of people from right in the neighborhood.
“Ask Why” was created by Saint Paul’s Hmong ArtCrop collective with the help of many local friends.
“Ask Why” is one of two murals on a building that houses a workshop that makes Butcher Block furniture. Just one of the other creative activities going on around the Chroma Zone.
Other murals are created by artists who travel long distances to participate in the Chroma Zone Festival.
Mariela Ajras, an artist from Buenos Aires, painting “Motherhood and Migration” during the 2019 Chroma Zone Festival.
Painted on a five-story building, this was the tallest mural created in 2019.
Ajras working on “Motherhood and Migration” in fall of 2019.
Where are the Chroma Zone murals?
The highest concentration of murals in Saint Paul are located in this an area along the city boundary with Minneapolis.
Much of the this is an old commercial/industrial area. It’s a place that has always been home to working artists. However, since the light rail went in and many of the artist lofts downtown became upscale housing, this has become even more of an arts center. New housing here is more affordable and often includes live/work options that work well for artists and makers. (It’s also proved popular with breweries, who find plenty of space to both brew and serve beer in old industrial spaces.)
The Chroma Zone/Creative Enterprise Zone map identifies where murals created as part of the Chroma Zone festival are located, who created them, and when.
But it doesn’t have ALL the murals in the area. And it doesn’t highlight other things mural visitors might want to do while here. So, I expanded their map to include more sites within the Creative Enterprise/Chroma Zone area.
Click here or on the map to plan your 2024 visit.
My map doesn’t have every mural on it either, but I’ll keep adding more as I find them.
While new housing is popping up everywhere, the area is still filled with older commercial/ industrial buildings with lots of big, blank walls. That means there’s still room for more murals!
How to get to and around the Chroma Zone
Saint Paul’s mural district is right in the heart of the Twin Cities metro area. As the crow flies it’s about 5 miles from either downtown Minneapolis or Saint Paul. So, you have options for getting there. However, much of this is an old industrial district. That means things are very spread out once you leave University Avenue. It isn’t easy to get around the entire area on foot.
Chroma Zone 2024 is offering bus tours in the afternoon on Sunday, September 21. Catch the bus at Dual Citizen Brewing at 725 Raymond Ave.
By transit
The Metro Transit Green Line light rail runs across the southern end of the Chroma Zone/Creative Enterprise area. However, the Raymond Avenue stop is the only one right in the mural district. The Fairview stop isn’t too far from murals on the far eastern end of the Chroma Zone area. On the west side of the district, the Westgate Station gives you easy access to one mural. However, from there it’s a bit of a hike to get to others.
And moving north/south through most of the district isn’t possible by bus.
As for buses, travelers are expected to use light rail, so bus service along University Avenue is limited.
There are buses, but each only travels a small portion of University. The old 16 (which stopped everywhere all along University before the light rail came through) was eliminated in 2021 after years of service cuts. Traveling north/south by bus isn’t possible in much of the area either. So, expect to walk a lot (or grab a Lime scooter) if you take transit here.
The three buses that have a few stops along University Avenue in the mural district are:
- Bus route 67 follows University between Fairview Avenue on the east and Highway 280 on the west. That means it runs through almost the entire south end of the Chroma Zone area.
- Route 63 runs along Cretin/Vandalia from the south to University Avenue and then follows University west almost to the Minneapolis boundary. (There is a short loop on the west end of the route.)
- Route 87 runs along University Avenue from the east to Raymond, and then north along Raymond.
Bus route 87 is the only north/south route that runs north of University Avenue within the Chroma Zone district. You could use it to get to murals that are north on Raymond
Warning! The Metro Transit website is NOT helpful for general advance planning. They do have a good trip planner, but it’s really designed to get you from one place to the next. It’s not very helpful for plotting an itinerary or perusing options.
And, if you used to ride the bus in this area but haven done so recently, note that ALL routes have changed.
By bike or scooter
If you are taking transit, once you arrive, you may be able to get around via Lime scooters.
As for biking, this area has a LOT of truck traffic. But you can get here and around and mostly avoid busy streets. You’ll even find a few marked bike lanes. (Notably, there’s one north on Prior, but you need to be comfortable biking as big trucks roar past).
Once you get off main routes, you’ll generally find pretty empty streets. However, most are in terrible condition.
By car
So, by now you may be thinking that driving is the easiest option. Well, maybe.
- Left turns off University Avenue are possible at very few locations because the train runs down the middle of the street. Plan to cross University (by car, foot, bike, or scooter) as seldom as possible.
- Expect lots of traffic at all day.
- There’s almost no parking on University and parking areas aren’t always well marked. However, most side streets allow parking for about $1 an hour. Many businesses also have parking lots around their building. That means you can combine a visit to the Reptile Center pet store or Pete’s with some mural viewing. Or, many days, just pull into a lot, take a couple pictures, and head out again. But never park your car in a business or other private lot and then wander off. It’s rude and you could get towed.
Other things to do in St Paul’s mural district
You’ll find plenty of other things to do when you aren’t looking at murals.
A lot has changed here over the years. When I spent time here long ago, much of the area was either an old commercial/industrial area with lots of abandoned buildings or part of a traditional neighborhood that hadn’t seen any investment since the 1950s. There were some cool businesses, cafes, shops, and art galleries, but they were mostly local secrets.
Derelict old industrial buildings remain, but many are finding new life as studios, offices, workshops, and even housing.
Today, some of those large commercial/industrial uses remain, but they share space with interesting shops, studios, workshops, arts organizations, cafes, coffee shops, breweries, and a lot of new housing. It’s become a hip new neighborhood for artists who can no longer afford to live and work in Saint Paul’s former arts district in Lowertown. That’s transforming the neighborhood. But it’s a nice mix. While you’re enjoying the art you can still pick up plumbing supplies, drop off your electronics recycling, or purchase supplies and services for your business!
Discover fun and funky shops and art galleries
Looking to brighten up your space? Need a one-of-a-kind gift? Looking for vintage clothing, furniture, or records? You can’t take your favorite mural home, but one of the area’s unique businesses might have exactly the right alternative.
My long-time favorites include the Raymond Avenue Gallery (Facebook) and Dow Art Gallery and Picture Framing. (Dow is a great frame shop, which is how I discovered it, but the gallery is huge and first rate.)
An exhibit featuring work by prominent female potters at the Raymond Avenue Gallery.
I haven’t done a lot of other shopping in this area in recent years, but that may have to change. There are some interesting shops here, including Classic Retro @Pete’s, MidModMen+Friends, and Northmade. And there are many other studios, print shops, workshops, and shops based here that have amazing products, but don’t have storefronts. (You can make an appointment at some or order online once you get back home.)
The Creative Enterprise Zone has a list of the area’s retail, pop-up, and online businesses, including art galleries and salons.
Take a beer break
This this creative art zone has also become a significant Saint Paul brewery district.
The Chroma Zone shares space with five breweries, with two more breweries and a distillery right next door. And there may well be a few more by the time you read this!
- Black Stack Brewing is in the same building as Can Can Wonderland. They don’t have a kitchen, however, there’s often a food truck parked outside. And you can bring your own food.
- Dual Citizen Brewing has large, inviting spaces both inside and out. No kitchen, but food from outside and takeout delivery are allowed.
- Lake Monster Brewing is my new favorite spot to have a beer when the weather is nice. It’s not that I like their beers so much more than other places, but the outdoor space under the Vandalia Tower is wonderful. No kitchen, but food is available late afternoon through evening from neighboring King Coil Pizza or a food truck.
- Urban Growler Brewing is Minnesota’s first woman-owned and operated microbrewery. Besides a long list of great beers, they also have really good food. You’ll find plenty of dining and drinking options both indoors and out.
- Bang Brewing is located in a converted grain bin next to Urban Growler. The focus here is on sustainable organic ingredients. There’s not much space inside, but during nice weather you’ll find several seating areas (some with fire pits) in cleared areas amid a flower-filled prairie.
Lake Monster Brewery has good beer and a beautiful patio.
Fair State Brewing also has their facility here, but without a taproom or other public facilities.
Just outside the art district, you’ll also find Saint Paul’s Burning Brothers Brewery. Surly Brewing and O’Shaughnessy Distilling (Irish-American whiskey) are right next door in Minneapolis.
Other things to do
While visual arts may be what drew you to the Chroma Zone, there’s a lot more here too.
Want to go back to childhood for a while? Check out Can Can Wonderland. You can play indoor mini golf, or test your skill on vintage pinball and arcade games while enjoying a beer from the pour it yourself tap all. And they have a kitchen serving snacks, burgers, and pizzas.
Or head over to the Twin City Model Railroad Museum. (Go on Saturday evening in winter when they have their Night Trains display.) Looking for something smaller? Check out the Smallest Museum in St Paul!
Perhaps the performing arts are more your thing. Creative enterprises based here include theater, dance, and music options of many types from all around the world. (The dance companies alone cover Chinese, Indian Bharatanatyam, tap, Irish, classical and modern ballet, and more!) Take lessons or simply enjoy a performance.
Check all the entertainment options in the area on the Creative Enterprise Zone’s list of adventures and performing arts.
See more murals, graffiti, and other street art on CindyCarlsson.com
