Minneapolis (Oct. 8, 2026) – Downtown Minneapolis has a new piece of public art to discover. Artist Rock “CYFI” Martinez has completed a 25-foot mural featuring a giant bumblebee on the 12th Street side of Orchestra Hall, adding a bold and unexpected new visual on one of the city’s most iconic cultural buildings.

The mural is part of a Meet Minneapolis initiative to activate downtown and welcome visitors to the Convention Center district with high-visibility public art on one of the city’s most iconic cultural buildings.

The giant bumblebee is designed to be seen from multiple vantage points throughout downtown, adding a playful and unexpected visual to a familiar cultural landmark. The mural also offers a new way for residents and visitors to experience Orchestra Hall and the Convention Center district.

“Public art can make a familiar place feel new again, and that’s exactly what we hoped to create with this project,” said Melvin Tennant, President and CEO of Meet Minneapolis. “This mural is a welcoming gesture to everyone coming into the Convention Center district – a chance to say ‘Welcome to Minneapolis’ with something unexpected, colorful and full of personality. A giant bumblebee on Orchestra Hall gives residents and visitors a reason to look up, explore downtown and experience this part of the city in a new way. We’re proud to bring this project to life with Rock, Forecast Public Art and the Minnesota Orchestra.”

Martinez, who was selected through a competitive process managed by Forecast Public Art, has a reputation for creating bright, larger-than-life murals that transform urban spaces with imagination, hope and beauty. A self-taught artist and native of Tucson, Martinez now splits his time between Arizona and Minnesota, where he is widely known for his 16-by-24-foot mural of Prince, originally created for the Weisman Art Museum and subsequently exhibited at MSP airport.

“I wanted to do more than fill the space,” said Martinez. “I want to bring people together.”

Minneapolis City Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer said the mural reflects the important role that art and culture play in shaping the city’s identity.

“Minneapolis has always punched above its weight when it comes to arts, music and culture, and that creativity is part of what makes this city feel alive,” said Shaffer. “If someone sees this mural and smiles, takes a picture, asks why there’s a giant bumblebee on Orchestra Hall or simply looks at downtown a little differently, that’s public art doing its job. This project is a great example of what can happen when artists, cultural institutions, the tourism community and the city come together to create places people remember.”

Meet Minneapolis launched the initiative in the spring with goals of welcoming visitors to the Convention Center district, celebrating community pride and emphasizing Minneapolis’ strong culture of neighborliness.

For visitors arriving in the Convention Center district, the mural provides a highly visible welcome to downtown and another reason to walk, explore and spend time in the area.

Built in 1974 as a home for the Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall is a cultural anchor on the southern end of Nicollet Mall, adjacent to the revitalized Peavey Plaza in the heart of downtown Minneapolis.

“Meet Minneapolis’ vision to highlight the spirit of our city through public art really resonated with us, and we’re proud Orchestra Hall can represent Minneapolis with art both within and on our venue,” said Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Isaac Thompson. “When we saw Rock’s proposed design it was thrilling, and we can’t wait for others to experience it. With a simple and imaginative concept, he has captured a mix of joy, playfulness and resilience that feels just right for this project and our building.”

The Process
In May, Forecast Public Art fielded a call for experienced mural artists and subsequently engaged three finalists from the pool of applicants to develop site-responsive proposals. The finalists each presented their design concepts to a selection committee, comprising representatives from Meet Minneapolis and the Minnesota Orchestra. Martinez’s design was chosen as the selected concept in August.

The Partners

• Forecast Public Art is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public art practices that support justice, health, and human dignity. Founded in 1978, Forecast works at the intersection of artists, communities, and civic systems to deliver inclusive, community-centered public art projects across Minnesota and the United States. Forecast brings nearly five decades of experience in equitable artist selection, community engagement, and the delivery of high-impact public art in civic and downtown environments.
• Rock “CYFI” Martinez is a visual artist and muralist whose work draws on the social, cultural and natural history of site-specific surfaces. As a self-taught artist, Martinez developed his craft by learning alongside other graffiti writers in his community. This grassroots education and the trials that come from working in a street-culture medium outside of the traditional scope of fine art influenced his understanding of public places and spaces - namely who they are for, and by extension, who was not welcome. Throughout his body of work, he explores this tension and seeks to amplify the voices and narratives of those who have been disenfranchised and marginalized throughout history. He draws on his mixed-race heritage to comment on the social, cultural, and natural history of site-specific surfaces, often using allegory, abstraction and pop art devices to layer meaning.
• Meet Minneapolis is the destination marketing and tourism organization for Minneapolis, dedicated to advancing the city’s economic and social prosperity through attracting visitors, meetings, conventions, and events. As part of its 10-year strategic plan, Meet Minneapolis works to foster a vibrant, welcoming, and nationally competitive downtown and convention center district that serves both residents and visitors.
• The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra is known for acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning educational programs; and a commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of tomorrow, all based on the belief that music is for everyone. Each year, Minnesota Orchestra concerts and recordings are seen and heard by more than two million people via television, radio, digital streaming and on-demand platforms.
• Led by Music Director Thomas Søndergård, the Orchestra makes its home at Orchestra Hall, one of Minnesota’s signature cultural and architectural landmarks. Designed by architect Hugh Hardy in 1974, Orchestra Hall quickly earned a reputation as one of the great American concert halls with its brilliant acoustics and modern design. Over the last five decades, the venue has become a musical hub in downtown Minneapolis, visited by luminaries from Maya Angelou to Yo-Yo Ma and serving generations of young people, many of whom experienced classical music for the first time in a school field trip to the venue.

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Kevin Kurtt, Meet Minneapolis, c 952-288-9319, kevink@minneapolis.org
Gwen Pappas, Minnesota Orchestra, gpappas@mnorch.org