PNW MM 2025 Recap

Nov 30

🎨 Building on Color, Community, and ConnectioN

This year marked the 8th Annual Mural Masters Festival — and what a year it was! Burien once again transformed into a living gallery filled with vibrant color, storytelling, and creative energy. Over the course of three days, 20 artists brought new life to downtown walls, painting murals that celebrated graffiti, culture, and the heartbeat of our city.

*Jose Rodriguez at the former Super Cuts wall. Photo by Mike Adams*

Expanding the Canvas

*Ces flexing his work at the Computer Sonic wall. Photo by +Russ*

This year’s festival continued our tradition of rotating murals, ensuring that Burien’s cityscape evolves each year with fresh voices and new perspectives. We welcomed returning favorites like TheyDrift + KSRA, and Merlot + Aerub, alongside new talent from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Our featured guest artist, CES ONE, brought decades of graffiti history and influence to the event — reminding us why this art form matters and how it continues to inspire new generations. Read about our recent interview with him where he drops life coach gems.

“We want people to see themselves reflected in this art — their culture, their stories, their city.”

— 2025 Mural Master Participant

Community Impact

This year, we tried something new: every Mural Masters wall got a fresh coat of bright blue. And honestly? It worked better than we could’ve imagined. People stopped, pointed, asked questions, took photos, and followed along as the transformations unfolded. It made the festival feel connected, cohesive, and alive.

Even without an art market this year, the community showed up for us in a big way. Our social media was full of interaction and excitement, and out on the streets you could feel that people were rooting for this event. That means everything to us, because Mural Masters is powered by pure heart — volunteers, artists, organizers, and community members who believe Burien deserves beauty, creativity, and pride.

Putting this festival on isn’t easy. It takes year-round planning, grants, fundraising, late nights, personal dollars, and a whole lot of love. But when we see folks walking the alley with their families, meeting the artists, taking pictures, or just feeling inspired — it reminds us why we do it.

*TheyDrift working on the Snack Gyro / Classic Barbershop wall. Photo by Mike Adams*

Financial Highlights

Thanks to the support of our sponsors, grants, and donors, we raised a little over $6,500 to bring Mural Masters 2025 to life. Key support came from 4Culture, the City of Burien Arts Commission, Burien Arts Association, and Art Primo — whose continued belief in our mission makes this possible.

While we operate on a modest budget, every dollar directly supports our artists, supplies, event infrastructure, and community programming.

We are forever grateful to our sponsors for all their support. Thank you for trusting our vision to bring murals to Burien.

“• Nearly 65% of expenses went directly to making art happen — from paint to lifts to artist support.
• Community-driven: 100% volunteer-run, with no administrative salaries or stipends paid. Every dollar went back into supplies, logistics, or artist resources.
• Visibility focus: $850 in marketing stretched across flyers, print materials, and digital campaigns — proving small budgets can make big noise.
• Modest shortfall: While expenses exceeded income, grants and donations helped bridge major costs, allowing the event to thrive despite tight funding. ”

— 💡 Key Insights • High-impact investment:

More Photos

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we reflect on another successful year, we’re already planning how to grow. For 2026, we aim to:

Increase resources for artists
Expand our partnerships with local businesses
Continue fundraising year-round to keep Mural Masters thriving

Mural Masters is 100% volunteer-run and community-powered. Your donations, shares, and support help us paint more walls, tell more stories, and keep Burien’s streets alive with color.