Tulip Mural

Photo Credit: Tobias Zikmund

Collaborating Partner:

Downtown Neighborhood Association, Fargo

Artist:

Tobias Zikmund

Photo Credit: Tobias Zikmund

Time & Place:

August-October 2025, Fargo, ND

Project Description:

The mural features a close-up view of tulips in full bloom. The tulips are backgrounded by abstract representations of a river (blue) and stones (dark gray), set against a soil-colored background. In creating the design, I thought about the country gardens of my mother and grandmothers and the landscapes of the Red River Valley. I also wanted to build off of a past mural project which featured strawberry plants and a quilt-like structure. I hope that, for viewers, the mural brings to mind the wonder, beauty, power, and ever-changing state of the natural environment. This project is part of the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s four-part “Public Art Campaign," of which I am a member.

Photo Credit: Tobias Zikmund

Goals or Outcomes Achieved:

The mural is located in Roberts Alley, a very active pedestrian alley right behind Broadway in downtown Fargo. The wall's paint was chipped and brown, and I knew that a mural would create a richer, more interesting experience in the alley and also improve this section of wall. It supports the Downtown Neighborhood Association's goal of encouraging Fargoans and visitors to explore our downtown, appreciate public art's power, and enjoy family-friendly fun.

What did you learn? Artistically? Administratively? About the community?

Each mural is a challenge. Here, I began by drawing the design onto the wall using a grid system, but ultimately I was unhappy with its precision, so I returned with a projector to tighten up the lines. Later, I was uncertain if the dark black outline would add or subtract -- as usually I create digital designs with black line drawings and don't plan to incorporate them -- but here I felt it was an integral element so I experimented with a small section, liked it, and continued with applying the lines to the rest.

Photo Credit: Tobias Zikmund

Links

https://www.tobiaszikmund.com/publicart

Quote from the project:

"I hope my mural enlivens the neighborhood I love and call home and offers to passersby a moment of lightness, whether they see it once or everyday."

Photo Credit: Tobias Zikmund