Joseph Maurer Brings New Life to Tunnel with “The River Above Us” Mural | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Joseph Maurer Brings New Life to Tunnel with “The River Above Us” Mural

November 17, 2025
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Joseph Maurer, "The River Above Us" mural
Joseph Maurer ’98

Joseph Maurer ’98 has completed a vibrant mural that has transformed a once-unassuming tunnel into a work of art celebrating the Chippewa Valley’s natural beauty.

Back in April, 18 News reported that the tunnel beneath 5th Avenue, part of the Chippewa River State Trail near Mayo Clinic, would be turned into a large-scale mural. Now finished, the piece titled The River Above Us, pays tribute to the Chippewa River’s connection to the city and its wildlife.

The project, which took roughly 250 hours to complete with help from other local artists, marks Maurer’s first large-scale mural. It features detailed paintings of local fauna, including beavers, frogs, and woodpeckers, along with subtle hidden details for visitors to discover.

“I saw this as a really unruly tunnel and I wanted to bring some joy to it,” Maurer said. “A lot of people came behind and supported me on it, and here we are.”

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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