Painting Together at the 100th National Cherry Festival
Painting Together at the 100th National Cherry Festival
The 100th Annual National Cherry Festival was an unforgettable celebration, and we were honored to be part of it in a very big way—literally.
Mitten Masterpiece brought two enormous 5-foot-by-10-foot community paint-by-number murals to Traverse City, inviting festival visitors of all ages to pick up a brush and help bring each scene to life.
What started as an exciting creative experiment quickly became one of the highlights of our festival experience.
Thousands of Brushstrokes, One Shared Masterpiece
Throughout the festival, families, children, longtime painters, first-time artists, local residents, and visitors from across the country stopped by to add their own brushstrokes to the murals.
Some participants painted for only a few minutes, while others returned several times to see how the artwork was progressing. People gathered around to watch the images take shape, compare painted sections, take photos, and cheer on friends and family members.
The murals became more than just paintings. They became shared experiences created by an entire community.
That is exactly what we love most about paint by number. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to participate. Every painted space matters, and each person contributes to something much larger than what any one individual could create alone.
Featured on 9&10 News
The community murals received so much attention that they were even featured by 9&10 News.
It was incredibly exciting to see the project highlighted and to share the story behind the murals with an even larger audience. The news coverage captured the energy surrounding the experience and showed just how meaningful collaborative art can be.
Celebrating Michigan Through Art
As a Michigan-made business, participating in the National Cherry Festival was especially meaningful to us.
The festival has been bringing people together in Traverse City for 100 years, and we were proud to help celebrate that milestone through creativity, color, and community participation.
Seeing people of different ages, backgrounds, and artistic abilities painting side by side reminded us why we started Mitten Masterpiece. Art can help people slow down, connect, create memories, and feel proud of what they have accomplished.
A New Chapter for Mitten Masterpiece
The response to the murals exceeded anything we could have imagined.
Throughout the festival, businesses, organizations, event planners, and community leaders asked how they could bring a similar experience to their own events. Those conversations inspired us to officially expand our community mural offerings.
Our large-format custom paint-by-number murals can be created for festivals, corporate events, fundraisers, schools, nonprofits, tourism organizations, celebrations, and other community gatherings.
Each mural provides an interactive activity during the event and a finished piece of artwork that can be displayed afterward.
Thank You for Painting With Us
To everyone who stopped by, painted a section, shared a photo, encouraged another painter, or simply watched the murals come together—thank you.
You helped transform two blank canvases into vibrant works of community art, and you made our first National Cherry Festival mural experience something we will always remember.
We are also grateful to the National Cherry Festival and 9&10 News for helping us share this special project with the community.
The murals may be complete, but this is only the beginning.
With Love from Michigan,
Bobbie
Interested in bringing a custom community paint-by-number mural to your next event? Contact Mitten Masterpiece to start planning your own collaborative masterpiece.