Heritage Hollow
Flamingo Swirl Mural
Madison Flower Flash, 2021
Describe your image.
Mural Installation View. Photo courtesy of Madison Public Art Project
Photo credit: Jan The Voyager
On view
Installed August 3rd, 2025
849 East Washington Ave. Madison WI 53703
The artist Janson Rapisarda, who paints under his moniker Jan the Voyager, is a Wisconsin-based painter. He was assisted by artist Drew York. In this piece his visual language honors the heritage of the Gardner Bakery and pays tribute to the rich cultural past of East Washington reflecting the history of the neighborhood. This permanent 13' by 20' mural in the alleyway mews space is located between the newly developed residential buildings. Faded "ghost signs" depict the history of this neighborhood which showcases street maps, old fashioned street lights, the Mautz paint icon, and a loaf of bread from the famed bakery in this historical, yet contemporary, mural.
"Ghost signs" were painted throughout Madison in the 1900’s onto buildings that, over time, weathered away. You can still see some signs downtown, along Williamson Street, and across East Washington that are faded, yet partially visible. Bakers Place restored the original text lettering on the brick building facade, which was the original Gardner’s Bakery building. The art mural further illuminates this iconic Madison building’s history.
This project was commissioned by Neutral and managed by the Madison Public Art Project.
Artist, Jan the Voyager, painting the Mautz paint icon in the "Heritage Hollow" mural at Bakers Place.
Photo credit: Cut the Deck Creative
Artist, Jan the Voyager, painting the "Heritage Hollow" mural at Bakers Place.
Photo credit: Cut the Deck Creative
Artist, Jan the Voyager, painting and old fashioned street light in the "Heritage Hollow" mural at Bakers Place.
Photo credit: Cut the Deck Creative
Artist, Jan the Voyager, painting the "Heritage Hollow" mural at Bakers Place.
Photo credit: Cut the Deck Creative
About the Artist @janthevoyager
Jan is a muralist working in the public space for over a decade. He works with themes and subjects to create a lively, playful, detailed, and engaging compositions that engage the viewer. His process of storytelling visually celebrates themes of adventure, independence, and wonder. Within his work are embellishments and adornments to figures and elaborate on the content within the work. His impressive and engaging murals can be found throughout Milwaukee, Chicago, Baltimore, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Indiana.
About Bakers Place
Bakers Place is a 206-unit market rate development consisting of a new 14-story residential building
with 206 units and a full restoration of the existing building. The building is located at 10 S Paterson St in downtown Madison and is situated on the former site of the Gardner Bakery on East Washington Avenue which closed in 2019.
Famous for its bread and buns, the original bakery opened in 1928 and served the neighborhood
for 90 years. The building pays tribute to the site in architecturally significant details by
renovating the original structure of the bakery and re-purposing it into lofted residential units and
by partnering with local bakers. The construction of this building was built to the LEED certification using
mass timber construction which helps reduce carbon emissions. Learn more at: https://livebakersplace.com
Gardner Bakery
Photo: Addition to Gardner Bakery, located at 849 East Washington Avenue
From the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society Collection
Gardner Bakery Truck
Photo: Gardner Bakery Truck
From the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society Collection
Photo of completed "Heritage Hollow" mural on August 7th, 2025
Photo Credit: Frank Juarez
ARTIST FULLY PAID UPDATE!
April 9, 2026, Madison, WI—Madison Public Art Project (MPAP) announces the full repayment of payment due to the artist for two murals. Janson Rapisarda, who paints under the moniker @cerastreetart answered an art call organized by Madison Public Art Project in 2025 and was chosen as the selected artist for the project. The building is located at 849 East Washington Ave. Madison, WI 53703. The mural work was commissioned by Neutral with all funding to be provided by the developer. MPAP was not the funder on this project and was not responsible for payment to the artist. The artist was initially paid $11,560 for his renderings, design revisions, down payment, and initial materials. Then, the payments stopped coming, and every invoice submitted was subsequently delayed.
MPAP worked tirelessly chasing unpaid invoices due for 9 months with some invoices dating back to July of 2025. The nonprofit spent countless hours working to get these payments made. During the past year, the nonprofit provided gratis legal support to the artist which, to date, totals $10,000 of free legal support. The nonprofit, although not the funder of this project, also issued a personal loan to support the artist in December of 2025 for $1,500 as personal emergency loan funds. Finally, we are happy to update, the artist, Janson Rapisarda, has now been paid $54,562 including late payment fees, plus the previous payments of $11,560 bringing the total artist payment on this project to $66,122. The nonprofit also donated over $16,450 of unbilled hours, to date, to support the success of this program to provide paid equitable artist opportunities in Madison.
MPAP Founder and Creative Director Jillian Talarczyk said “This was a rough one, but we did it. We started working on this art scope planning in 2022 and it took four years of time and energy. Ensuring the artist was fully paid was our top priority over this past year. We are so relieved that the artist has now been paid in full for this gorgeous work that will benefit the community for years to come. The art speaks to the history of the neighborhood, fosters community, and stands as a significant contribution of artistic achievement. This project underscores MPAP’s dedication of transparency, accountability, and commitment of supporting artists. I want to thank our legal support for their unbelievable hard work on this project.” The nonprofit hopes to keep the exterior wall as a rotating art gallery wall in Madison with art that will change every 5- 7 yrs offering ongoing visual inspiration to the community. Thank you all our project partners, artists, and fellow arts administrators for your support during this time.
Art & Music
The artist enjoys listening to music when he is painting in his studio. Listen to the curated music playlist by @JantheVoyager here that inspired the creation of this impressive mural!
Upcoming Mural Art Walk!
Stay tuned for upcoming events to meet the artist, and learn more about these impressive murals!
ⓒ Madison Public Art Project