MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) is proud to announce an inaugural mural festival, “Paint the Town: La Porte 2026” to be held July 8 -12 in downtown La Porte. The program is co-managed by Lubeznik Center for the Arts and South Bend artist, Alex Ann Allen of Mural Mania and supported by the Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL), the La Porte Urban Enterprise Association (LPUEA) and the City of La Porte.
Four nationally recognized artists will travel to La Porte, Indiana, to create four large-scale murals in just five days. Representing California, Texas, and Virginia, the muralists will transform three buildings, bringing vibrant public art and added energy to La Porte’s already lively summer season.
During the festival, guided tours will offer visitors an inside look at the creative process. The event will culminate on Sunday evening, July 12, with a special historical tour led by Fonda Owens, Executive Director of the LaPorte County Public Library, highlighting the mural sites and their past.
Following the tour, the public is invited to a closing celebration at The La Porte Fire House, a new event space donated for the occasion by Dudley Beyler. Beyler is also providing appetizers and music to enhance the festivities. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the artists and organizers. A cash bar and Paint the Town: La Porte t-shirts will be available.
“This is the first mural festival organized by Lubeznik Center, and I’m confident it will be a great success thanks to our strong partnerships with Alex Ann Allen, the City of La Porte, LPUEA, and HFL,” said Janet Bloch, Executive Director of LCA “When you have terrific partners, it’s hard to fail. We are also incredibly grateful to the building owners for their generosity.”
As communities throughout Indiana look to the arts to help build their economies, these partnerships offer artists and residents financial benefits. Research shows that murals may bring the following benefits to a community:
- Property values around murals increase faster and at a higher rate, in many examples up 15 – 20%.
- Murals attract creatives and entrepreneurs, which leads to innovation and business development.
- For every $1 spent on art as much as $24 returns to the community.
Neighborhoods with more arts activities see increases in housing, population and school test scores along with a decrease in crime.
About Lubeznik Center for the Arts
Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides access to compelling exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary ideas. The organization is located at 101 W. 2nd Street at the lakefront in Michigan City, Ind. Admission is free year-round. For more information, please visit LubeznikCenter.org or call 219.874.4900.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES . . .
The Hub NWI Receives an Art’s Kiln from Porter County Community Foundation
The HUB NWI, a community makerspace housed in a restored former church in Hebron, has received a $7,500 grant from the Porter County Community Foundation to fund its Community Kiln Arts Initiative. The award allows The HUB NWI to bring a new Janus Ovation dual use kiln online, opening hands-on ceramics, glass fusing,…
2026 Lake County Fair Announces Grandstand Events
The Lake County Fair runs from August 7th – August 16, 2026. The fair is known for it’s Huge carnival midway, lots of good food, free entertainment, free contests for the kids, farm animal shows, horse shows, free horse shows everyday, Silly Safari, motor sports in the Grandstand, agricultural exhibits, free Petting zoo, Daily…
Whiting Park Festival Orchestra Concerts – 2026
The season opens on July 18 th, 2026 with a concert is titled “A Sparkling Summer.” The wonderful soprano Emily Yiannias will sing Samuel Barber’s beautiful “Knoxville: Summer of 1915″ on the program which also features music by Bernstein, Howard Hanson, Waldteufel, Strauss, and John Philip Sousa. The music director is Robert Vodnoy. The concert is FREE. ($10 parking)
Click Here for more info
Kiwanis July 4th Parade downtown LaPorte Returns to Celebrate 250
Thousands of residents and visitors are expected to line the streets of La Porte shortly after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as the 250th of America and the 80th Annual La Porte Fourth of July Parade steps off. Organized for the sixth consecutive year by the Kiwanis Club of La Porte,…
Valpo Art Walk Welcomes New Collection
The Art Walk at Cumberland Crossing is about to host a fresh collection of outdoor sculptures as 20 new works by 14 local, regional and nationally recognized artists will be installed in the coming days. “From larger-than-life poppies and soaring musical forms to imaginative wildlife and bold contemporary designs, this new collection showcases…
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
