The Essex County Land Bank and the North Country Rural Development Coalition (NRDC) are partnering with the community to program the Walls Between Waters mural festival in the Town of Ticonderoga.

What the festival is & What we’re doing:

In June 2025, Walls Between Waters transformed near blighted, vacant, and abandoned properties through public art installations. This new public art fostered community pride and encouraged economic revitalization. The project focused on the creation of five murals in the downtown corridor, accompanied by a community festival.

In 2026, 3 more murals were added to Ticonderoga and 1 in Jay, Au Sable Forks. The festival was held on June 6th, 2026. 

Mural festivals involve the implementation of a group of murals in a condensed time frame. All of the Walls Between Waters murals will be located within easy walking distance. The festival atmosphere draws media attention and outside visitors while inviting residents to be part of the public art creation. 

Get Involved

Do you want to get more involved? The Essex County Land Bank and the North Country Rural Development Coalition (NRDC) are evaluating the community’s interest in public art, and we are encouraging Ticonderoga residents to participate in this short anonymous survey.

Are you an artist?

 Local and regional artists are strongly encouraged to apply for this project. Deadline to come for 2027. 

Mural Apprentice Program

The Mural Apprentice Program is being offered in partnership with the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance.

Local artists who are interested in learning more about how to install a mural may apply to participate in the Walls Between Waters Mural Apprentice Program. Artists may apply for both the RFQ and the apprentice program. The Walls Between Waters Mural Apprentice Program will offer aspiring artists an opportunity to garner valuable experience installing large-scale murals. This is an excellent resume builder for an aspiring muralist! Apprentices will be paired with experienced muralists and asked to help assist in the mural installation during the mural festival. Apprentices may learn how to scale a design to fit a building, learn about different mediums, and expand their artist-network! Stipends of up to $1,000 may be available for successful apprentices. The deadline is coming or 2027. 

Eligibility

• Applicant must be 18 or older, or have parental permission
• Applicant must reside in, or near, Essex County, NY
• Applicant MUST be able to volunteer some hours to this apprentice program during Walls Between Waters mural festival