By Jody Kerzman

Art has always been a part of Erika Gallaway’s life, and now, her artwork is larger than life.

Erika is one of the artists whose work has transformed a downtown Bismarck alley into a piece of art. Erika’s inspiration for her mural came from a smaller piece she created for an art show.

“I used henna powder and acrylic paint together and created a bison on an 8×10 piece of canvas,” says Erika. “I still have that piece.”

It’s become her inspiration piece: it inspired her to apply for one of the artist spots for Art Alley, partly because that piece fit the alley’s theme, “Reflections of North Dakota.”

“There’s nothing more North Dakotan than the bison,” says Erika, a lifelong North Dakotan and a 2013 graduate of Bismarck High School. “I incorporated the henna tattoo look into my design. The henna designs bring something unrelated to the Bison and represent sort of a culture clash; what’s happening in North Dakota right now.”

She made some changes to the original design, and of course made it much bigger. Working in two to four hour shifts, Erika spent about eight days painting her mural. She finished just in time to head back to college at UND, where she is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in psychology.

Bismarck AlleyArt is a partnership between the Dakota West Arts Council, a 2016 Leadership Bismarck Mandan Project Team, and the community of Bismarck. Click here to learn more or visit their Facebook page.