Art Installations Begin at Madison Public Market

The Market will feature multiple murals and installations both indoors and outdoors. This week, exterior works are being installed in anticipation of the early 2026 Market opening. The first works going up include:

Elizah Leonard by Tom Jones

Jones is a Professor of Photography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and creates work that examines American Indian identity, experience, and perception. His photography is held in prestigious collections including National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

His work Elizah Leonard won second prize in The National Portrait Gallery's 2022 triennial Outwin Portrait Competition.

Elizah Leonard is a champion dancer and recipient of an All-American Scholarship for wrestling. Jones photographed Leonard wearing a Fancy Dance shawl, made by her mother, and a beaded necklace and earrings, made by her grandfather. He then sewed beads, rhinestones, and shells directly onto the print, and finally photographed the resulting work. The photograph is being reproduced on the Public Market's exterior wall along First Street in vinyl on aluminum composite panel.

Axolotl & Alma by Issis Macias & Rodrigo Carapia

These works from the Raíces en Color (Roots in Color) collection are collaborations that showcase the artists' shared Mexican heritage through distinct artistic styles. Macias, the 2025 Latina Artist of the Year, started the works with her bold abstract compositions with contrasting colors. Then Carapia, a self-taught artist from Mexico City, superimposes vivid imagery celebrating Mexican culture.

The collection embraces both the common threads within Mexican traditions and beyond, while using color as a powerful symbol of the richness and complexity of cultural identity. The artists' works in this collection were acrylic on canvas. The original painting of Alma is in the private collection of Sara and Carlos Alvarado.

For this installation, high resolution photographs were taken and the works are being reproduced in vinyl on aluminum panel at a larger-than-life scale. The murals will be located on two exterior walls that face the parking lot behind the building.

And Still, She Blossoms

This vibrant and engaging mural was created by Madison La Follette and Middleton students under the guidance of La Follette teacher Monique Karlen for the 2020 Downtown Street Art & Mural Project. The original sketch was created by Shantiana McNeal when she was a freshman at La Follette High School. Over the course of three days, the group continued to develop the design. High resolution photographs of the work were used to recreate the piece in vinyl on aluminum panel. The photos show the wood grain, screw holes, and brush strokes, honoring the original mural. This mural is also to be located on an exterior wall facing the parking lot.

The Madison Public Market is expected to open end in the first quarter of 2026. Art installation will continue while vendors move into the building.

Most of the public art will be in place for opening day, while some may be installed in Spring 2026. Additional projected installations include:

• Huura Šgaach by Nipinet Landsem and Caitlin Newago
• A Visual Land Acknowledgement by Jim Terry
• Rainwater Cistern Wraps by Hello Madison
• Greetings sculpture by Actual Size Artworks
• Sky Sail by Ash Armenta

Additional art pieces are in the works and will be announced at a later date.

Public Art for the Madison Public Market has been made possible through the Madison Arts Commission's Municipal Art and Percent for Arts funds, with additional support from private donors. Private donations include generous contributions from The Madison Community Foundation, The Friends of The Madison Arts Commission, and the Hoke Family Foundation.

For more information about Public Art at the Madison Public Market, email [email protected].

About the Madison Arts Commission

The Madison Arts Commission works to encourage artistic activities and performances throughout the city, supporting both emerging and established artists while enhancing the cultural landscape of Madison through public art initiatives.

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