Downtown Spokane Mural Walk: A Guide to the Alley Art

Downtown Spokane's newest large mural doesn't face a main street. It covers more than 5,300 square feet of the alley between Post Street and Lincoln Street, one block south of River Park Square. Spokane artists Stacie Boyer and Jennifer Batey designed and painted it. The Downtown Spokane Partnership says it will be among the largest murals downtown. On October 1, the DSP published a self-guided walking map for downtown's murals and named it the "Lilac City Downtown Mural Tour." It comes as a Google My Maps version and a printable brochure.

The name fits. The new mural is the latest addition to an alley that has been filling up with art since 2021, and the alley is where downtown's public art has been heading.

One Alley, Three Rounds of Paint

The DSP's tour lists three stops at 111 N Post. Read in order, they show how the alley filled up.

The first round came in 2021. Spokane Arts hired Tif Ander Patterson to lead a weekend Mini Mural Workshop for first-time muralists, and the DSP's guide calls that workshop the start of the Post Street Mural Alley. Six artists painted that first set: Acennan Morgan, Chelsea Hendrickson, Frankie Benka, Kayleigh Lang, Nicole Hague and Rowan Hoerner.

The second round came in 2025. Patterson added five more murals, including one of their own, and brought in a newly formed collective called Party of Six. The map credits the mini-murals to Patterson, Tobe Keough, Erin Lang, Rose Honey, Hannah Bottino and Karli Fairbanks.

The third round is the big one. The DSP announced the Lilac City mural on August 26, 2026, while it was being painted. The announcement said the public could watch the artists at work, with completion expected "on or near mid-September." KXLY reported people walking through the alley and talking with the artists while the painting went on. The October map lists it as stop No. 10, right after the workshop murals at No. 8 and the mini-murals at No. 9.

The DSP says the design features landmarks, people, events and traditions that shaped the Lilac City over the past century. Boyer's earlier public work includes "We All Belong" on the Avista Metro building downtown. Batey has spent more than 30 years painting murals around the Pacific Northwest.

In five years, the alley went from a beginner workshop to one of downtown's largest murals.

Why the Newest Wall Is Off the Sidewalk

The Lilac City mural was planned for an alley from the start. It belongs to a DSP program that uses public art, lighting, extra maintenance and other improvements to bring people into underused alleys. American Rescue Plan Act funding from the City of Spokane paid for overhead lighting and murals in alleys next to Post Street, Howard Street in the Parkade Plaza, and Stevens Street behind Main Avenue. It also funded Vintage Alley along Railroad Alley near Madison and Jefferson streets.

The tour's own entry for Lilac City says the mural came from a partnership between the DSP and Spokane Arts, using ARPA money set aside for alley activation. DSP President and CEO Emilie Cameron described the aim as "transforming overlooked spaces into places that invite people to explore, linger and connect with our city." City Councilmember Zack Zappone said "murals, lighting and activation improves the pedestrian experience for residents and visitors."

That makes the tour an alley walk more than a street walk. The program's lights and murals go in the passages between buildings, so the new map leads into spaces that most people walking downtown used to pass by.

The Alley Stops at a Glance

The Older Stevens Street Pieces Came First

Some alley-area art predates the ARPA program by several years. The pieces at the Stevens Street stop are a good example.

In November 2018, The Spokesman-Review reported that Matt Smith had finished covering the Stevens Street BNSF underpass with his fish murals. The next spring, Susan Webber and Shelby Allison painted a 160-foot mural nearby that combines women and Spokane landscapes. The Spokesman-Review photographed the work in progress on May 1, 2019. The tour now lists that piece as "Nature Ladies," stop No. 11.

The same pair painted "Sea Monster" on Howard Street, listed at 125 S Howard. Webber and Allison show up at two different stops, years apart. The Howard pieces have no published installation dates, so the map is the best record of what is there now.

Howard Street is also where First Friday Face-Off takes place, at the Parkade Plaza Building, 110 N Howard, from 5 to 7 p.m. The DSP notes that food trucks may set up on Howard during Face-Off events. Those listings put the event on the Parkade Plaza block, not inside the mural alley itself.

Vintage Alley Is the Stop Still Taking Shape

The fourth alley is the newest project and the least settled. On June 5, 2026, the DSP and RenCorp Realty announced Vintage Alley along Railroad Alley, between the Norman and Jefferson buildings. The first phase called for a large mural and decorative string lighting, with a collection of historic neon signs planned for later. Construction was expected to start that summer.

The Spokesman-Review reported that the mural would go on the wall of the Caliber Collision building. Hotel Indigo and the Commercial Building are nearby, and the paper described the alley as undeveloped at the time, with string lights and repaving planned.

The October tour lists "Vintage Alley" by Chris Bovey at 114 S Madison as stop No. 24, with a photo of the mural. In the tour's entry, Bovey says the mural brings back places like the Shack and the White Elephant, so they "will continue to live on is this alley instead of just in our memories." He calls it "only the first phase," with vintage neon signage planned for phase 2. The sources don't say whether the string lights or the repaving are finished. The DSP and Bovey have mentioned live music and public events there as future possibilities. The mural is ready to see, and the rest of the alley is still a work in progress.

Ending the Walk Indoors

The walk can end indoors at a new spot. The Spokane Journal of Business reported on September 24, 2026 that The Lilac Room was open at 319 W. Sprague. It is an upscale craft cocktail lounge between Spokane Comedy Club and Gamers Arcade Bar.

The 3,800-square-foot space was previously home to Pinot's Palette. Spokane-based Sturdy Solutions LLC did the $200,000 renovation and kept the exposed brick. Kevin and Renee Fandt own all three venues through Bark Entertainment LLC. The three now operate under one liquor license, and guests can move between them.

Steverding pointed to the practical benefit for cold months: "In the winter, it's a big advantage. It eliminates the need to wait in line." Comedy ticket holders can wait in the lounge with a drink and then be walked to the club. The bar also has a pneumatic cocktail delivery system called The Lilac Express.

A mural named for the Lilac City and a lounge called The Lilac Room both turned up downtown between late August and late September. They are separate projects with different owners, and both fit easily into the same walk.

Using the Map This Fall

The DSP tour page has a printable PDF and an interactive Google My Maps version that can be downloaded as KML or opened in Google Earth. The page says the DSP and Spokane Arts have worked with local artists, property owners and community partners on downtown murals for more than a decade.

Before you go, keep in mind:

• The map shows where each mural is. It does not list hours, closure notices or the current condition of every alley.
• The Post Street alley has the most to see at one address: three tour stops at 111 N Post, painted in 2021, 2025 and 2026.
• The Stevens Street stop has the oldest pieces on this route, finished in 2018 and 2019.
• Vintage Alley at 114 S Madison has Chris Bovey's mural up now, and the neon signs are planned for a second phase.

The DSP had planned to celebrate the 2026 murals with Spokane Arts during First Friday Art Walk, with a self-guided tour of downtown's public art. The tour doesn't depend on that event. The printable map is free, and the Post Street alley sits one block south of River Park Square.

Our team at Bill Richard Real Estate Group has worked in Spokane since long before the first workshop murals went up behind Post Street. We pay attention to changes like these alleys because they shape how each block feels to the people who live nearby. If walking this route has you wondering how downtown's changes affect your home's value, we'll give you a calm, honest read on it. Start with a free home valuation.