Artist Cheri Lee Charlton will transform a vacant downtown building into a large-scale public mural rooted in New Buffalo’s founding story — with community painting days open to everyone!
A vacant building on Barton Street in downtown New Buffalo, Michigan is being transformed into a large-scale public mural this summer, paying homage to the city’s 1834 founding story. And for fun, the community is invited to help paint it! WE ARE EXCITED.
Chicago-based muralist Cheri Lee Charlton is leading the project, commissioned in partnership with Lubeznik Center for the Arts and The Neighborhood Hotel New Buffalo. Work begins this summer on the Barton Street structure, steps from the The Neighborhood Hotel at 18 W. Merchant Street in downtown New Buffalo.
Charlton is known for richly detailed compositions featuring creatures from land and sea, imaginative layering, and public art grounded in the communities it serves. Her mural portfolio spans multiple cities. In 2021, she completed a large-scale project in Casablanca, Morocco, commissioned to mark the 200th anniversary of U.S.–Morocco diplomatic relations.
The 1834 shipwreck that founded New Buffalo
The mural traces New Buffalo’s origin to Captain Wessel D. Whittaker, whose schooner — the Post Boy — ran aground in a violent Lake Michigan storm in 1834. Whittaker survived. Struck by the area’s natural harbor and shoreline, he remained and helped establish what became the city of New Buffalo.
Charlton’s design connects that founding moment to the present. The composition draws on maritime imagery while looking forward: the sky includes a rocket and a UFO beaming the town’s name earthward. It is a mural about history that doesn’t stop there.
While Barton Street is in the heart of downtown New Buffalo, it is still an under-discovered part of the Central Business District. This mural gives people one more reason to slow down, enjoy the art, and stay downtown a little longer.
— Jonathan Gordon, Founder, The Neighborhood Hotel
Community painting days in New Buffalo — late June 2026
Two community painting days @ 115 N. Barton St., New Buffalo, MI are scheduled for Thursday, June 4th and 11th from 11-5 pm. Painting is open to all ages, all of the paint is provided and zero experience necessary! A third community painting day is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th from 12-2pm. Donations for Neighbor by Neighbor and Lubeznik Center for the Arts would be greatly appreciated but not required.
Project Support
The project is supported by Lubeznik Center for the Arts, based in Michigan City, Indiana, approximately 10 miles from New Buffalo. Lubeznik offers exhibitions, arts education, and regional community programming. Charlton and Lubeznik previously collaborated on a mural in La Porte, Indiana in summer 2025.
We look forward to working with Cheri again after a wildly successful mural project in La Porte last summer. We hope you will come out and paint, especially aspiring artists, because there’s so much to learn when working with a talent like Cheri.
— Janet Bloch, Executive Director, Lubeznik Center for the Arts
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the New Buffalo mural located?
The mural is on Barton Street in downtown New Buffalo, Michigan, steps from The Neighborhood Hotel New Buffalo at 18 W. Merchant Street.
When are the community painting days?
Two sessions are planned for late June 2026. Exact dates will be announced at NBHDhotels.com. No painting experience is required to participate.
Who is painting the Barton Street mural?
Cheri Lee Charlton, a Chicago-based illustrator and muralist, is leading the project. The mural is commissioned with support from Lubeznik Center for the Arts and The Neighborhood Hotel.
What is the mural about?
The mural draws on New Buffalo’s founding story — Captain Wessel D. Whittaker’s 1834 shipwreck on Lake Michigan — and extends it forward through maritime imagery, a rocket, and a UFO spelling out the town’s name.
How can I support the project?
Donations at the community painting days benefit Neighbor by Neighbor and Lubeznik Center for the Arts. Visit NBHDhotels.com for updates.
Plan a visit to New Buffalo
The Neighborhood Hotel New Buffalo is located at 18 W. Merchant Street in downtown New Buffalo, Michigan — a short walk from the Lake Michigan shoreline, the harbor, and Barton Street. Additional hotel locations include Grand Beach, Mich. and downtown Chicago, with future openings planned in both markets.
Click here for current rates and availability!
ABOUT THE PROJECT PARTNERS
Cheri Lee Charlton
Illustrator, muralist, and teacher based in Chicago, Illinois. MFA in Painting, Ohio University. Faculty in the Illustration Department at Columbia College Chicago. Her public work features animals, nature, and community-rooted storytelling.
Lubeznik Center for the Arts
A contemporary art center in Michigan City, Indiana, offering exhibitions, education, events, and regional outreach. A hub for cultural engagement across northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.
About The Neighborhood Hotel
The Neighborhood Hotel was founded in 2020 by Jonathan Gordon — a travel enthusiast who enjoys spaces that inspire, comfort and fuel. Each suite is well equipped for short and longterm stays (i.e. kitchens, laundry, etc.). The Neighborhood Hotel transforms old buildings with compelling history into well outfitted apartment style hotels that honor the old while representing the now. The vibe is fresh and fun with rooms that are stocked to support everyone from the homebody to the adventurer. The hotels provide a basecamp for the explorer and a sanctuary for the traveler who needs to recharge, reset or just chill. The suites are simple and clean, punctuated with accents that bring the right amount of pop. The Neighborhood Hotel has locations in Chicago: Lincoln Park and Little Italy and in Southwest Michigan: New Buffalo and Grand Beach.
Read about us in Architectural Digest, Midwest Living and CN Traveler!
Connect with @the.neighborhood.hotel on Instagram and LinkedIn!
