Sun Prairie's most famous native has inspired a new wave of creativity in the city's downtown.
Georgia O'Keeffe, the legendary modern artist known for her paintings celebrating nature, travel and the female form, was born on a farm near Sun Prairie in 1887. After spending her formative years in and around Madison, O'Keeffe took off to pursue a career that took her around the world. Dubbed the "Mother of American modernism," O'Keeffe is heralded as a feminist icon.
To celebrate O'Keeffe's legacy, Sun Prairie has selected nine artists from across the country to paint murals on the north side of the Washington Mills building in June 2025. Each artist was selected because of their distinct styles and connections to O'Keeffe's work.
Watch the artists create the murals in real time by visiting Sun Prairie for Mural Fest held June 18–25. All nine murals will be revealed during the Sun Prairie Block Party and Mural Reveal held from 5 to 8 p.m. June 26.
Jump around to learn more.
Meet the artists
Lena Ugren
Ugren is a first-generation American citizen from Bosnia living in Madison. Her signature style uses bold, often monochromatic, colors and curvilinear lines to create realistic, but often abstracted, portraits. Her mural work has taken her across the world creating public art in Banja Luka, Memphis, Madison and beyond.
Follow Ugren on Instagram: @lenaugrenart
Amy Zaremba
Zaremba is a Madison artist and Wisconsin native whose art "is designed with intention—to brighten the day of a passerby, provoke thought, and build a sense of community." You can find her work in iconic Madison locations including the Henry Vilas Zoo primate house, A Pig in a Fur Coat, Ideal Bar, the Greenbush neighborhood and the Madison Youth Arts Center.
Learn more: zaremba-art.com
Follow Zaremba on Instagram: @zaremba_art
Audifax
Audifax is a Madison-based muralist and DJ whose art "is meant to guide you to see your potential, believe in it, and live it; by spreading a desire to push ourselves towards what matters to each of us, with the understanding our differences are what make this world interesting and beautiful." Her art can be found around Madison at Art House 360, Rusty Bee Lounge, Mother Fools Coffeehouse, Ohio Tavern and beyond.
Learn more: audifaxart.com
Follow Audifax on Instagram: @audifaxart
Congo (Oliver Crisóstomo)
Congo is a Peruvian muralist and graffiti artist from Michigan who has created art around the world that explores nature's interaction with its environment using hyper realistic and surreal visuals. His work can be found across Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee and in Peru.
Follow Congo on Instagram: @congo.art
Nico Cathcart
Cathcart is a deaf/hard of hearing artist from Toronto who is currently based in Richmond, Virginia. She is passionate about intersectional feminism and climate change, two causes that are featured heavily in her artwork. Her work also often features birds, a nod to her disability. Murals from Cathcart can be found in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado and elsewhere across the country.
Learn more: nicocathcart.com
Follow Cathcart on Instagram: @nicocathcart
Rebekah Rose
Rose is a queer illustrator and muralist from Long Beach, California whose passions around queerness, consent, body image, mental health and social justice can be seen in their art. Rose's murals feature cases of cartoonish people, animals and creatures surrounded by whimsical scenes that are injected with bold and bright colors.
Learn more: rebekahroseart.com
Follow Rose on Instagram: @rebekahrrose
Trudy Tran
Tran is an Atlanta-based artist whose work explores traditions, identities and stories from different cultural groups. Tran's murals often feature realistic depictions of people and animals created with soft lines and gentle color palettes. Her murals can be found in Atlanta, Memphis, Long Beach and other U.S. locations.
Learn more: trudytran.art
Follow Tran on Instagram: @trudytranart
Julie Vornholt
Vornholt is a Madison muralist known for her large scale floral murals. Her work is prominently displayed at Grace Coffee's multiple locations throughout the community. You can also find her murals at Greater Heights Climbing Gym, Bailey's Run Vineyard, Greenway Station and other spots around Wisconsin.
Learn more: julievornholt.com
Follow Vornholt on Instagram: @julie.vornholt.art
John Kowalczyk
Kowalczyk is a Milwaukee-based painter, muralist and mixed-media artist who describes his work as "shrine-like, shiny, symmetrical, and seductive figurations that become maps of my mind combining myth, math, and magic." His murals are bold explorations of color and shape and can be found throughout Wisconsin.
Learn more: johnkowalczykart.com
Follow Kowalczyk on Instagram: @johnkowalczyk
Click here for more information on the artists and murals.
Mural Fest 2025
Aside from watching the artists in action, Mural Fest will include several community events that will help visitors grow a deeper connection with Sun Prairie and its creative community.
“Mural Fest is a celebration of art, culture and community,” said Barbara Behling, tourism director of the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce.
“Art has an indelible ability to connect history, identity and purpose. We’re excited to improve our downtown’s aesthetic with art inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, our most famous resident, while also driving future events and community connections.”
Community events
- June 9–July 4: Beyond O’Keeffe: Contemporary Artists in Wisconsin Art Exhibit at 110 S. Bristol St.
- June 20, 5–7 p.m.: Beyond O’Keeffe Exhibition Reception
- June 21, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.: 38th annual Strawberry Festival at the Colonial Club
- June 21, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.: Make Music Day across Sun Prairie
- Musicians will be present at the mural wall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- June 27, 7–8 p.m.: Curator Talk—Beyond O’Keeffe: Wisconsin Artists and Place
- June 28, noon–4 p.m.: Sun Prairie Pride Fest at Sun Prairie West High School
- June 28, at 7 p.m.: Pride Fest Concert, featuring Grammy-nominated artists Mary Lambert and Jennifer Knapp at Sun Prairie West Performing Arts Center
- June 28, at 7 p.m.: Madison Night Mares O’Keeffe Night game at Warner Park
O'Keeffe in Sun Prairie
After spending her childhood and high school years in the greater Madison area, O'Keeffe left to study in Chicago and New York and later went on to live in Texas and New Mexico. O'Keeffe returned to Sun Prairie several times to visit family.
A reprint of one of her red barn paintings is on display at the Sun Prairie Historical Museum, along with family photographs, a belt she wore over her dress (a style she was well known for), a skull and other photographs. The museum is open 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays from April through November, and Wednesdays only from December through March.
“The barn is a very healthy part of me… It is my childhood–I seem to be one of the few people I know of to have no complaints against my first twelve years.” —Letter from O’Keeffe to Mitchell Kennerley, 1929.
The original farmhouse where O'Keeffe grew up burned in the 1970s and was not rebuilt.
A historical marker can be viewed on the 300 block of East Main Street next to the Sun Prairie Police Department, and O'Keeffe Avenue on the city's south side is named for her. Click here to find the free O'Keeffe driving tour map.
Looking for more art in Sun Prairie? Hop on the self guided Art Tour to discover more one-of-a-kind creations.
