ALPENA, MI – This Up North town is welcoming boaters with new public art.

Alpena’s recently completed bridge mural creates a vibrant waterway entry into its downtown.

The new mural by artist Molly Keen decorates abutments of the Second Avenue drawbridge, which spans the Thunder Bay River.

“The goal of this mural was to create a beautiful, vibrant entry point into the downtown from the river,” said Anne Gentry, of the Alpena Downtown Development Authority.

Dating back to the town’s settlement in the 1870s, the river has been the heart of Alpena’s downtown and its economic and cultural growth, making the bridge a prime spot for a mural, she said.

“The artist’s design and style truly capture the essence of a place, its culture and identity and landmarks,” Gentry said. “It was a perfect m

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