The alleyway to the East of Wise Wonders Science & Discovery Museum (3024 2nd Avenue N.) and the Cali Building that houses the Office of Public Assistance (111 N 31st St) has long been dubbed by locals as ‘Graffiti Alley”. For nearly a decade, this alley drew creative, intentional, and inspired street art that made the alley a popular destination for high school senior photos and other photoshoots. But sadly, in recent years this alley has transitioned into a magnet for taggers and undesired activity.
The transformation process
Together, our Downtown Billings Business Improvement District (B.I.D), the adjacent property owners, and the City of Billings Code Enforcement collaborated on a plan implementing CPTED best practices; including cleaning up the unwanted tagging, adding lighting, and more public art to transition the alley once again into a space that feels safe and inviting for the community to enter.
To start the transition, the city’s Code Enforcement staff and members of Treatment Court gave the over 200 feet of wall on the west side of the alleyway a fresh coat of primer in preparation for the various new murals we coordinated as a part of our Downtown Public Art Program.
“It was important to us to get some murals started immediately because a freshly cleared wall can look like a blank canvas to taggers.” shared Joe Stout, the Operations Director of the B.I.D.
We connected with the first two artists through Triia; A Native American Development Corporation organization whose mission is to elevate and showcase the talents of Native American artists and paid both artists an honorarium for their murals with funding from our Public Art Program. The first two murals are now complete and we are currently lining up additional murals to ensure new art spans the entire length of the west side of the alley.
The art
The first mural added in the alley is by Melisa Trombley, an artist from Browning, MT. Trombley chronicled on her instagram the process of painting her mural titled “Resiliency”. This mural was inspired by the return of the buffalo to the Blackfeet Nation at Chief Mountain in 2023. “A couple of years ago, before the return of the buffalo, I had a dream about this piece; I always wanted to create it on a grand scale but lacked the space and time. Then this opportunity arose, and I thought, ‘This is perfect.’ It’s the biggest canvas I could imagine, and I’m going to make the most of it.” shared Trombley.
The second mural completed in the alley is from artist Julianne Beaudin-Herney, from Haver, MT. This mural titled “Stay Together, Pray Together” stands at the alley’s South entrance and can be seen with ease as you drive past the alley on First Avenue N. A portion of this mural includes a stylized self portraits of both Beaudin-Herney and her husband.
More plans for this alleyway are currently being discussed by adjacent property owners. We intend to see more art added to this alley and will keep you updated.
Public Art and Downtown safety go hand in hand
Our Public Art Program is a part of the B.I.D.’s Clean and Safe Initiative. The various art projects funded and supported by the program are diverse and come in many forms, including sculptures, murals, and other installations (both permanent and temporary). Each project funded by the program promotes public safety in a variety of ways; by offering a visually appealing and engaging environment, while the art itself helps with crime prevention. Creating accessible art in public areas that were previously overlooked, neglected, or deemed unsafe helps to increase foot traffic and eyes on a space to deter undesired behavior. Additionally, the Public Art Program exists to foster a sense of community pride and ownership as art often serves as a symbol of the local culture and history, and can bring people together in appreciation of these shared aspects.
Click to read about a previous Downtown Billings alley art project