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MINNEAPOLIS (September 24, 2026) — Orchestra Hall has long been known for the signature acoustic cubes that cascade down its backstage wall, but soon the home of the Minnesota Orchestra will boast a new signature element: a 25 foot mural on the 12th Street side of the venue. Created by artist Rock “CYFI” Martinez, the mural is part of a Meet Minneapolis initiative to beautify downtown and welcome visitors to the Convention Center district with high-visibility public art on one of the city’s most iconic cultural buildings.
Rock “CYFI” Martinez, who was selected through a competitive process managed by Forecast Public Arts, 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 x 24-foot mural of Prince, originally created for the Weisman Art Museum and subsequently exhibited at MSP airport.
Martinez will begin work on the aerosol-painted Orchestra Hall mural on Saturday, September 26 and complete the project within two weeks. A press event is slated for Thursday, October 8 at 1 pm to share and celebrate the completed mural onsite at Orchestra Hall.
“I wanted to do more than fill the space,” said Martinez. “I want to bring people together.”
Meet Minneapolis launched this initiative in the spring with goals of welcoming visitors to the Convention Center gateway district, celebrating community pride and emphasizing the City’s strong culture of neighborliness.
“Public art can make a familiar place feel new again, and the location of this mural gives us an opportunity to create a memorable welcome to downtown Minneapolis,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis. “As visitors enter the Convention Center district, they’ll encounter something unexpected, colorful and distinctly Minneapolis. We’re proud to partner on this project that will bring more energy and creativity to this important part of the city.”
Built in 1974 as a home for the Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall is a cultural anchor on the southern end of the Nicollet Mall, sitting adjacent to the revitalized Peavy Plaza in the heart of downtown Minneapolis.
Said Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Isaac Thompson, “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. 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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