(Article Written by Volume One)
The Chippewa Valley is certainly no stranger to murals and public art projects, and now Menomonie will be embarking on one heck of a journey to bring a unique international group of muralists to town in 2026, starting with its fundraiser kickoff event, held on Thursday, June 27. (For a brief overview of the fundraiser kickoff event, visit the Murals in Menomonie Facebook page).
In a first-time collaborative effort between numerous major players in Menomonie – UW-Stout, the Community Foundation of Dunn County, the Dunn County Historical Society, the City of Menomonie, Downtown Menomonie, Explore Menomonie, as well as a local business, Vintage Sign Shop – a large-scale mural project is slated to take place in June 2026: Murals in Menomonie.
The project will ultimately lead to numerous new murals in the Menomonie area, all of which will commemorate the community’s rich history. The historical aspect of the project is part of why the kickoff fundraiser was held in Holtby Hall of the Dunn County Historical Society’s Rassbach Museum.
The event featured a presentation detailing the backstory of the artist group who will create the murals, The Walldogs, as well as began fundraising by selling merchandise and a custom-brewed beer from Brewery Nonic created specifically for the kickoff.
Though the project organizers did not unveil specific details until the kickoff event, they said several murals will be completed at the June 2026 Walldogs Festival in Menomonie, a five-day event during which the public will be welcomed and encouraged to watch visiting artists create the murals.
The Walldogs have completed mural projects in roughly 30 towns across the country – including Chippewa Falls in 2002, which resulted in several murals, including the Leinenkugel’s mural on Bridge Street. The artists and their annual five-day Walldog Festival are so in demand that they are booked out until 2028: Upcoming Walldog Festivals are slated for Utah in 2025, Menomonie in 2026, and Texas in 2027, with more in the works for locations in New Mexico, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and others.