“Mike’s Koi” — a koi fish mural commissioned by former Cleveland Mayor Mike White.From Lake Erie’s beauty to the ingenuity of the people who helped build Cleveland, two newly installed murals are adding color and character to Cleveland neighborhoods as part of Destination Cleveland's ongoing effort to tell Cleveland's story through public art.

The newest additions to Murals Across the City include the work of local artists Tessa LeBaron and Dayzwhun. The project launched in 2023, featuring six artists chosen from more than 150 applicants.

Destination Cleveland’s goal is to use the work of local artists to showcase the personality and diversity of Cleveland's neighborhoods while creating photo-ready destinations for residents and visitors.

“We've asked artists to create work that reflects some of the qualities we at Destination Cleveland think make Cleveland special, and we ask them to include one of our brand phrases," says Jennifer Blye, senior public relations manager for Destination Cleveland.

“We also want each artist’s individual style and perspective to come through, which is why the murals all look and feel so different from one another,” Blye adds.

A third mural by artist Nathalie Bermudez is planned for spring 2027 at the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression.

The new murals
LeBaron's mural, at 706 E. 185th St. in Collinwood, draws inspiration from the former Euclid Beach Park and the surrounding landscape. The piece features a collage of portraits, animals, vibrant landscapes, and visualizations of the subconscious mind.

The design celebrates Lake Erie as one of Cleveland’s greatest natural resources and the beauty and energy that surround it. A cool color palette creates a tranquil scene that reflects the experience of connecting with nature along Cleveland’s waterfront.

A photographer and painter, LeBaron says she created her Collinwood mural to embrace a nature theme—a theme that is central to much of her work, along with themes of femininity.

The mural depicts deer, native flora and fauna, the pier and the Cleveland skyline as seen from the beach. Deer are a familiar sight along the park’s shoreline, bringing the surrounding landscape to life.

Tessa LeBaronShe made a video of her progress on her mural.

LeBaron features much of her work in her studio in Negative Space Gallery, located in Asian Town Center. She has created large-scale murals for several local businesses and public art projects.

Earlier this year, she teamed up with Cleveland photographer Johnny Joo to produced "Emergence," at 78th Street Studios, which represented their personal journeys as they move through creative blocks and explore universal themes of mental health, resilience, and transformation.

Dayzwhun's mural is on the exterior of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Welcome Center at 1701 W. 25th St. in Ohio City. It sits close to the Irishtown Bend Park project, and he says he wanted the mural to pay tribute to Cleveland's industrial roots and history of innovation.

He says the mural represents another opportunity to bring his artistic vision to a public space.

A new endeavor in familiar territory
This is the first time Dayzwhun has participated in Murals Across the City, even though he has been creating murals since he was 13. He says his submission wasn’t accepted in earlier rounds, so he was surprised by the invitation to participate this past March, the third Murals Across the City installment.

"I was actually pretty shocked because I applied some years before, didn't get approved, but out the blue they're like, hey…," he recalls. "And I was like, ‘oh, really?’ So I was like, cool, let's make it happen."

Titled “Forged by Pressure, Rooted in Resilience,” he says his mural celebrates the people and industries that shaped Cleveland—from the workers in the steel mills and salt mines to inventor Garrett Morgan.

“Forged by Pressure, Rooted in Resilience,”Dayzwhun’s mural celebrates the people and industries that shaped Cleveland—from the workers in the steel mills and salt mines to inventor Garrett Morgan.

He says this latest work is a departure from some of his previous projects, as it is a digitally designed piece rather than a traditional hand-painted mural—marking his third digital mural design, after doing a project for MetroHealth.

Dayzwhun notes that he enjoys working in different styles and approaches rather than repeating the same kind of work.

"More and more, they keep giving me creative control, which is kind of cool because I'm becoming the artist that I've been wanting to be—the artist where people trust in my talents and ability to get a job done and represent the community well," he says. "So I'm very proud of the direction that I'm headed as an artist."

Now 47, Dayzwhun says he has been able to support himself and his family through his artwork for most of his adult life.

His mother, Nara Bata, an artist and longtime early childhood educator, initially helped spark his interest. Dayzwhun filled the walls of his home with drawings—prompting his mother to encourage him to take his artwork outside.

His first paid, professional mural came at age 13, commissioned by the sister of former NBA player Charles Oakley.

Since then, Dayzwhun’s work has taken him all over Cleveland and far beyond the city limits. At 16, he painted two murals at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. At 19, he created a mural in Selma, Alabama, depicting the 1965 Voting Rights era.

The artist's name also has roots in his early creative life. With the given name Naijal Hawkins, he was first known as “Daydream” before he shortened the name to “Dayz” while doing graffiti. He eventually added “whun” to create the name he has used for decades.

DayzwhunMuch of Dayzwhun’s current work is grounded in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood where he lives and works. He is a co-owner of Red Lion Tattoo, which opened in 2012. He and business partner Harold Stallworth also established 4030 Studio, named for the shop's address, to use art as a way to uplift and improve neighborhoods.

Since 2019, the partners have worked on youth programs, projects for senior citizens, back-to-school initiatives, and other community efforts. The two also created the St. Clair Superior Art Festival, which has grown into an annual neighborhood event.

"We've seen that there's a need for it," Dayzwhun says of the community-focused work. "We have really changed the direction of this neighborhood, and we have inspired a lot of other artists to do the same."

He says he is proud to see his artwork contributing to the neighborhood rather than taking away from it. “I love the neighborhood,” he says. “I grew up in the neighborhood. I'm invested in the neighborhood.”

Destination Cleveland’s Blye says that connection between artists and Cleveland’s neighborhoods is central to the destination marketing organization's vision for the project.

Now, 47, Daywhun has been painting since he was 13 years old.“Public art gives people another reason to experience a neighborhood and hopefully discover something nearby that they might not have otherwise,” she says. "For us, the murals are also a way to tell Cleveland's story through the perspectives of local artists and create these really visual moments that residents and visitors want to photograph and share.”

There are now nine murals throughout Cleveland. The first two Murals Across the City murals were completed in fall 2023, with four more from that initial group finished in 2024. Each mural has been created by a different artist.

Destination Cleveland also expanded the range of artists able to participate by moving from hand-painted murals to heat-applied vinyl, allowing artists and designers to contribute their work without necessarily having specialized experience painting on a large scale.

There are now nine murals throughout Cleveland. The first two Murals Across the City murals were completed in fall 2023, with four more from that initial group finished in 2024. Each mural has been created by a different artist.

"I hope it gives people another reason to explore Cleveland and its neighborhoods, but I also hope Clevelanders see pieces of themselves, and their community reflected, in the artwork," Blye says.

Dayzwhun says he hopes the opportunity to create work that represents and celebrates Cleveland and its residents continues.

"I'm so blessed and honored to have such an amazing talent that I'm able to share not only with myself, but to the world," he says.