East Tosa is home to the North Avenue Mural Arts District, or NoMAD: a growing collection of large-scale murals painted right onto the walls of our businesses by artists from Milwaukee and around the world. It’s a free, walkable, open-air gallery, and every mural doubles as an invitation to step inside the business behind it. Grab a coffee and take the walk.
Taste the Sweetness · The Nobleman Barbershop
6831 W. North Ave. · Eric Ricks (Maryland)
A dazzling 3D geometric mural with butterflies hidden throughout, a hummingbird at its heart, and a lotus flower that melts right into the sidewalk. Look closely, then look again.
What Blooms is Us · Heartland Information Research Building
6434 W. North Ave. · Christina Persika (Wauwatosa)
A hometown artist’s tribute to mother nature and community resurgence: a woman wrapped in a nature-embroidered cloak, surrounded by lush botanicals symbolizing growth, healing, and inclusivity.
Tessa · Voline Garage Central Gas Station
6902 W. North Ave. · Matthew Mederer (Chicago)
An optical illusion: up close it’s abstract blocks and shapes, but step back across the street and the whole mural leaps off the building.
Field of Play · Little Village Play Cafe
6505 W. North Ave. · Whitney Nettles (Milwaukee)
A 1,500-square-foot collaboration with the Milwaukee Brewers celebrating community, creativity, and teamwork: the playful spirit of childhood meets the rallying heart of Brewers fans.
Roan the Raccoon · Cranky Al’s
6901 W. North Ave. · Dan Leonard (Ireland)
A techno-colored, spray-painted raccoon (named for the artist’s son) carrying a fish skeleton, equal parts 90s cartoon and street art. Best enjoyed with a donut from inside.
A Life of Gold · Tosa Yoga
6734 W. North Ave. · Ivan Roque (Miami)
A giant goldfish tangled in sunflower stems, symbolizing fortune, joy, and prosperity, from a Cuban-American artist whose work explores birth, renewal, and social struggle.
Tiger Godmask · BelAir Cantina
6817 W. North Ave. · Adam Hernandez (Ohio)
A bright, patterned tiger from a mythological “Land of the Thunderbirds,” its many eyes a reminder to see beyond the surface.
Myth Spinning · Alfa Flower & Wedding Shop
7001 W. North Ave. · Nykoli Koslow (Milwaukee)
Built layer by layer in spray paint and brush, full of fluid, flourishing representations of life and growth. The artist’s hope: that everyone who walks past spins their own myth.
Light Seeker · Simple Eats
7227 W. North Ave. · Janson Rapisarda, aka Cera Street Art (Milwaukee)
Floating orbs, bursts of light, and dreamlike creatures inspired by Studio Ghibli’s approach to magic: a world that seems to breathe alongside you.
Take the walk
All nine murals sit along a walkable stretch of W. North Ave between 64th and 73rd. Start at either end, wander the district, and duck into the businesses along the way; the art is on their walls because they said yes to it. Share your photos with #EastTosa and we’ll feature our favorites.
Mural details via Discover Wauwatosa.