2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards honors community creativity
The Ann Arbor Public Art Commission has announced the winners of the 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards, recognizing individuals, organizations and projects that bring creativity, civic engagement and artistic excellence to public spaces across the city.
"It has been incredible to witness the vibrancy of Ann Arbor’s public art scene flourish over the years,” noted Mary Thiefels, chair of the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission. “We are grateful to the city for continuing to honor this work, recognizing its importance and how it contributes to our growing creative community."
Presented every two years, the Golden Paintbrush Awards celebrate artwork that enriches everyday life in Ann Arbor and highlights the impact of public art across the community. Winners were selected by a panel of judges based on creativity and skill, civic engagement and public visibility.
The 2025 Golden Paintbrush Award winners are:
PowerArt! Boxes
PowerArt! transforms downtown Ann Arbor traffic signal boxes into colorful works of art created by local artists. Produced by Creative Washtenaw in partnership with the City of Ann Arbor, 40 decorated boxes are now installed across the city. The project turns everyday infrastructure into small but vibrant landmarks that add personality and creativity to the streetscape.
A2AC Murals and Planters
Led by the Ann Arbor Art Center’s Art in Public initiative, the A2AC Murals and Planters program brings large-scale murals and hand-painted planters to downtown and neighborhood spaces, showcasing local artists while adding color and creativity to places where people live, work and gather. The 2025 planter installations recognized through the Golden Paintbrush Award were created by local artists Bill Burgard and Rick Malt.
Murals That Bridge
Murals That Bridge transforms railroad underpasses — key gateways into Ann Arbor — into large-scale public artworks. The murals create welcoming visual landmarks that reshape first impressions of the city and highlight community identity.
Dragons Everywhere All at Once
Held at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and organized by the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan, this free community event explored dragons in East Asian art through performances, demonstrations and hands-on activities, bringing art, culture and creativity together for visitors of all ages.
Corridor of Colors
Installed along a busy connector corridor at Michigan Medicine, and created through the Gifts of Art program, this colorful ceiling installation by artist Michelle Inez Hinojosa transforms a once-overlooked hospital passageway into a bright and uplifting public art experience.
The Golden Paintbrush Awards recognize the many ways public art enhances Ann Arbor — from murals and infrastructure projects to performances and community events — celebrating the artists and organizations who bring creativity into shared public spaces.
To learn more about the Golden Paintbrush Awards and view photos and details about each winning project, visit www.a2gov.org/golden.
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Media Contact:
Robert Kellar, Communications Specialist, 734.794.6000 ext. 41524 | rkellar@a2gov.org