Oshkosh will be home to Wisconsin’s Largest Mural, after artist Mauricio Ramirez completes his work on a 1,000-foot-long mural at the Cummins Plant on High Avenue.
“We often talk about the riverwalk as a mansion with no furniture,” Amy Albright, Executive Director of Discover Oshkosh, said. “With Mauricio’s vision, we are turning an industrial wall into a vibrant destination. This motivates more people to use this asset we’ve invested in and fosters deep community pride.”
The mural, stretching more than three football fields in length, is a collaborative effort between Discover Oshkosh, Cummins and the JEK Foundation, as part of Discover Oshkosh’s placemaking initiative.
“We can only hope that this inspirational mural will spur further creative endeavors and partnerships along Oshkosh’s riverfront and throughout our entire community,” Courtney Lasky said, trustee of the JEK Foundation.
As part of the initiative, murals have been placed around the city, including a recent one that celebrates Titan Athletics at Kolf Sports Center on UW Oshkosh.
The project is being brought to life by Mexican-American visual artist Mauricio Ramirez, known nationally for his vibrant geometric style and ability to infuse local history into large-scale works.
Ramirez’s design is a layered celebration of Oshkosh’s rich industrial and cultural legacy, with the sweeping composition paying homage to the city’s foundational industries, including timber and aviation, while also nodding to iconic local history like the Oshkosh B’gosh brand and the powerful early 20th-century photography of social reformer Lewis Hine. Critically, it also honors the Cummins facility itself, a site of significant automotive manufacturing history.
Locally, Discover Oshkosh noted how Ramirez is known for his 55-foot mural of Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks on a business center in Downtown Milwaukee.
Murals are more than just art, however. His large-scale art has become the defining feature of several urban landscapes in the U.S., with his trademark kaleidoscopic color palettes splashed all over cities like Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and Kansas City.
“For me, murals are not just decoration—they are stories cast in color,” he said. “In Oshkosh, I see many stories: from timber, to factories, to the hum of aviation and machines. My hope is that every walker, cyclist or visitor on the Riverwalk will feel connected to the past, present and future of this great place.”
The project serves as the inaugural investment for Discover Oshkosh’s new placemaking initiative, which aims to leverage public art to create dynamic and engaging public spaces. The installation began in early October and is expected to be finalized by the end of the month, with the best views being on the riverwalk accessible from UW Oshkosh or the Oshkosh Public Museum.
Future plans include a future Spirit of Aviation mural painted on a building on Main Street, in addition to murals at Menominee Park. Discover Oshkosh notes eight murals around the city, which is ever-growing.
