WE MAKE ART ON THE GROUND

PORTFOLIO

ground shift studio creates art on the ground that unites, protects, and energizes the cities we love.

WE transform pavement into empowered and joyful public infrastructure.

  • Muralists, illustrators, storytellers and designers who have over 20 years combined of experience in creating in the public realm. We’ve been creating in the right-of-way since 2019. Clients include cities, departments of transportation, corporate real estate, Fortune 500 companies, huge NGOs, small non-profits, and our local community bicycle gangs.

  • We like to call our work mural-centric. The majority of our work is painted, large-scale pavement murals, but our practice is ever-expanding and diversifying. We use murals as a tool to:

    • help share important hyperlocal stories

    • increase visibility for all road users

    • use select solar-reflective colors to help cool the pavement

    • nurture creative economies by skillsharing and prioritizing the hiring of women, nonbinary and genderqueer people

    • cultivate conversations about road safety and encourage active mobility

    • help the masses reimagine land use in roads and sidewalks

    When we’re not creating painted murals, we are experimenting with ground mosaics, creative shade interventions, temporary adhesive vinyls, sidewalk chalk and more.

    We love any art form that uses the ground as canvas.

  • Whether you realize it or not, the pavement is one of the largest sources of connection between neighbors, neighborhoods, cities and states. But too often, the state of our pavement discourages us from forming meaningful connections with each other, whether it’s from heat, litter, unplowed snow, potholes or gated entry. We believe art can shift this for the better. The way we take care of our pavement reflects how we take care of each other.

WORK WITH US

  • "WOW! Ground Shift Studio transformed our city's streetscape with its stunning mural installation, seamlessly blending art and function in a high-traffic corridor...Ground Shift doesn't just create art - they create change."

    Abe Bruckman, City of Rockville Grants Manager

  • "Ground Shift Studio supported Madison’s first-ever safety-focused asphalt art project from start to finish. Their leadership in design, materials, and on-the-ground installation made the project a huge success. We learned a lot, strengthened community engagement, and had fun doing it."

     Liz Callin, Principal Transportation Planner, City of Madison, WI

  • “Working with Ground Shift Studio was a great experience, they are flexible, engaging, and always with a smile on their face!”

    Rita Costa Cots, Build Peace Arts & Personhood Director

  • “In the fourth year of painting our pedestrian plaza, this design by Ground Shift highlights the creative voices and contributions of our youth, and shows the world that Silver Spring is a loving, vibrant and diverse community.”

    Laurie Yankowski, The Peterson Companies Regional Marketing Director

  • “DC is home to some seriously enduring works of art, from a 14th-century Giotto painting at the National Gallery of Art to an Olmec mask at Dumbarton Oaks that could date to 900 BC. But the least lasting? That just might be the work of Chalk Riot.”

    Grace Deng, Washingtonian Magazine

  • "Chalk Riot brought their talents to Wolf Trap with artwork that generated audience engagement and delight! There were very creative, reliable, and responsive throughout our partnership!"

    Sara Shaffer, Wolf Trap Creative Director