The Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) has paired up with a team of artists to bring the Rocky Mountain Building on Central Avenue back to life. Graffiti downtown has been a bigger problem this year than most. Part of this project turns illegal vandalism into art. Tyler Valley is a graffiti artist working on the mural. His hope is to influence kids not to be so selfish to put their name up somewhere and think they did something great.

Tyler Valley has been arrested for his graffiti in the past. He knows exactly what its like trying to impart expression and beauty by illegally tagging, but today he's making a positive contribution with his talents. He says it means a lot to be accepted as an artist rather than considered a vandal. Graffiti is a legitimate form of art and he hopes his section of the mural will help prove that to the public.

It isn’t just graffiti artists benefiting from having a place to display their work. Julia Becker is the artist organizer on the project. She’s the one who contacted B.I.D. suggesting a mural to improve the look of this area. She says many artists in Great Falls that do not do western art do not have a venue. This mural provides a place for artists of different styles to express themselves publicly.

The mural is being done mostly through volunteer work, but a small stipend from the city is paid to professional artists based on the size of their section on the wall. The artists love being together because it opens up dialogue, inspiration, and shares ideas and techniques.

Sharie Babb is another artist working on the wall. She says she loves being out in the public creating art. She’s always wanted to work on such a large venue. She says this area of downtown has a life of its own. People from the community are watching the progress and stopping by. Babb says its like art in their living room, except they look out the window to see it.

The artists are getting lots of positive feedback and involvement from the community. Eleven year old Zane Allen Dern rode his bike downtown just to see what was going on. He says he loves the project and the artists are doing a much better job than he possibly could. His favorite is the peacock section because blue is his favorite color. He thinks it’s great that the mural is covering up an eyesore. Dern says people don't pay attention when they walk by, but now going to look and see the whole building because of the paintings.

The goal of the project is more than just minimizing graffiti and beautifying downtown. The artists are putting some of themselves on the wall to celebrate community, art, and life. Babb says art enriches people by filling something inside them, even if they didn’t know something was missing. Becker says art is about dialogue. It’s about the interaction between artists, the community, and life. Art isn’t meant to be individually possessed and hidden within walls. She’s thrilled to be apart of sharing her work with other artists and the community.

Such a huge project is naturally about collaboration and open dialogue. The artists can express themselves while working on the 126 feet piece as a whole, but being true to themselves in their individual sections. Stencils of flying birds run throughout the mural to unify the sections in movement.