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Danville’s new mural festival will temporarily close Washington Street and spotlight downtown businesses
Danville will host the inaugural Merge Mural Fest in September 2026, with nine artists painting walls in a parking lot east of Washington Street and a public unveiling and reception set for Sept. 19. Organizers and several downtown merchants are backing the event.
Merge Mural Fest ’26 will bring nine muralists to a parking lot northeast of the square in Danville; painters are scheduled to arrive Saturday, Sept. 12 and must finish their work by Saturday, Sept. 19, when a free public reception is planned from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers say Washington Street and that lot will be closed to motorized traffic during the Sept. 19 reception.
Organizer Julie Freyholt, joined by co-organizer Nick Abstract Smith, says she received 147 applications from 22 U.S. states and seven countries and narrowed the field to nine artists. Selected painters include Tiffany Black, Anthony Brooks, JD Bills, Scott Trafford, Jon Mendelson, Ruben Aguirre, Natalie Clare Shugailo, David Swartz and Lauren Lewchuk. Local supporters named in the report include Mokey’s, Gallery on the Square, Beehive, Bread Basket Café, Electric Plus, Staley Construction and Visit Hendricks County; organizers are also seeking additional financial contributions through Downtown Danville.
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Source date recorded as August 26, 2026 at 9:24 AM EDT. A sourced news brief; no independent staff reporting is implied. Prepared with AI assistance; source-dependent claims remain attributed in the article.
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