Merced Hosts First Arts Festival in May

The Merced mural adorns a wall at Applegate Skatepark.  The mural was painted in collaboration with Urbanists Collective.

Patty Pratt has left her mark, very literally, on the Central Valley. As an artist, muralist, designer and sign maker, her life’s work is to spread beauty, creativity and community in Merced and beyond. 

“I’ve been an artist all my life, and I started painting murals in Merced in 1999 when they were not quite legal yet,” Patty said. Today, the murals are not only legal but welcome in Merced and towns throughout the Central Valley. It’s a strong testament to the power of art to enliven a community. Numerous studies show the value of the arts in driving economic development, fostering creativity, deterring crime, increasing safety and more. 

Greetings from Merced is a mural installed in the reception area at the El Capitan Hotel in downtown Merced.

To celebrate art and its ability to transform a place and its people, Patty is part of the organizing committee for Merced AF (Arts Festival). This inaugural event is a week-long tribute to the ways art shapes our lives. It showcases local and regional artists through murals, photography installations, public art, live music and street-festival activities. The event also celebrates Merced as a Downtown Cultural Destination. By activating public spaces and partnering with local businesses, the festival aims to foster community pride, highlight local creative talent, attract visitors and generate economic activity while reinforcing Merced’s growing distinction as a vibrant arts and cultural hub.

Over six days, Merced AF will bring five large-scale murals and ten beautification installations to the downtown core. Artists will paint in public view throughout the week, giving residents a chance to watch the creative process unfold. The schedule also includes workshops, panel discussions, live painting sessions and a high-school film screening that overlaps with festival week — a deliberate effort to highlight youth voices and early-career artists.

“Everybody deserves access to art,” said Patty, who will be painting a mural with two other artists during the event. 

Merced AF’s culminating event, Art Flop, takes place Saturday, May 23, from 5 – 9 p.m. throughout downtown Merced. There will be activities for kids, creativity stations, a poetry open mic and even a beginner break-dancing workshop. Organizers stressed that no expertise is required; the goal is participation, joy and community connection.

The Womyn's mural was painted in collaboration with Faith in the Valley and is located at Sam’s Cafe in Merced.  The mural showcases three women of color. Each representing a community within Merced; Hmong, African-American and Latino/Indigenous. This mural was painted by local artists from Merced and the Central Valley.

Merced AF is an artist-led event organized by Cien Ojo Studios and the Urbanist Collective, which started in Visalia and now serves artists in California, Washington and Arizona. The Central Valley Community Foundation’s staff in Merced supported local partners involved in bringing the Merced Arts Festival to life. 

To learn more about Merced AF, click here or follow them @merced.af on Instagram.

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and this special place we call home. Learn more at centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.