By John Weare
The Alliance Creative District (ACD) was pleased with the success of the inaugural Carhenge Mural Festival, June 18 to June 21, 2025. The event aimed to transform the iconic roadside attraction, Carhenge, into a vibrant canvas for artistic expression while simultaneously fostering community engagement and economic growth.
The Carhenge Mural Festival is poised to serve as a powerful catalyst for economic development in Alliance, with the long-term vision of building momentum and impact year after year. With Carhenge already drawing over 100,000 annual visitors organically, the festival was designed to leverage this unique tourism asset to more directly benefit the local economy. By bringing vibrant, high-quality public art to both Carhenge and the surrounding community, the festival aimed to not only enhance the visitor experience but also encourage deeper engagement with the town itself. Long-term goals include attracting new demographics, beautifying public spaces, increasing the duration and depth of tourist visits, boosting tourism dollars spent in Alliance, and ultimately contributing to a self-sustaining Creative District that continues to generate cultural and economic value for the region.
Project development began nearly two years ago, following the Nebraska Arts Council’s announcement that the Nebraska State Legislature had approved funding for a statewide Creative District initiative. This effort to harness the arts as an economic driver draws inspiration from successful models across the country—dating back to Roosevelt’s WPA programs—and has since been embraced by over 30 certified Creative Districts throughout Nebraska. The process of securing certification and funding was extensive, requiring nearly two years of strategic planning, community input, and development before large-scale grant awards were received.
The Carhenge Mural Festival featured eight renowned muralists from around the globe, each selected through a competitive open call for qualifications. The final lineup included internationally acclaimed artists Artez, Anna Charney, Chanate, Fat Cap Sprays, Key Detail, Paul Monsters, The Obanoth, and Step Frae. Together, these artists boast a combined social media following of nearly 10 million, bringing significant visibility to both the festival and the community. Each muralist created original works in the distinctive styles for which they are known and celebrated, ensuring that the installations were both high-quality and authentically representative of global contemporary muralism.
Despite their international recognition, each artist was remarkably generous with their time and talent. In addition to their primary works at Carhenge, the muralists created 15 additional artworks throughout the community. These pieces now enliven key locations including Studio A, The Gathering Spot, Carter’s Home and Hardware, Bernie’s Hardware, Box Butte Development Corp, and the Alliance Theater. To enhance engagement and extend the festival’s impact, QR codes will be installed on the painted cars in the coming weeks. These codes will direct visitors to the Alliance Creative District landing page, where they can learn more about each artist and access a digital map showcasing the full collection of murals throughout town.
The Carhenge Mural Festival also featured a robust lineup of educational workshops and community engagement activities designed to foster interaction between artists and local residents. Each visiting muralist led a workshop during the week of the festival, including local artist Amanda Pruneda. Professor Sandra Williams, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Department of Art and Art History, coordinated the participation of two UNL honors students. Students Michelle Reese and Amy Xu were sponsored by UNL Extension to assist artists and facilitate community workshops. UNL staff and students partnered with Carnegie and the Alliance Recreation Center (ARC) to lead a hands-on stencil and spray chalk activity for ARC’s summer camp, where local youth had the opportunity to create their own street art one on one with UNL students and University of Nebraska Omaha’s Goodrich Scholars.
The engagement continued the next day at Highland Park Nursing Home, where activity coordinators Krista Blumenthal and Deedee Behm organized a unique experience for residents: painting on the side of a train car using spray paints and custom stencils provided by UNL and Carnegie. Two muralists joined in the event, and residents, staff, and students enjoyed the creative exchange. Even officers from the Alliance Police Department got involved, staging a playful “graffiti arrest” of a resident and a nurse before joining in to make their own artwork on the train car. These educational components added depth to the festival experience, allowing community members of all ages and abilities to connect with artists, explore mural techniques, and participate directly in the creative process.