
Rick Malt
LOCATION: 201 E. Liberty St on 4th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
PRESENTED BY: Cabrio Properties
Official Sites: Website | Instagram
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rick Malt is a contemporary artist whose work is deeply rooted in his experiences with nature, graffiti and skateboarding.
I paint murals, windows, houses, portraits, signs, faux finishes, and sometimes vehicles. I have a BFA from the University of North Florida and an MA from Eastern Illinois University. I’ve lived in 5 states and seen all most all 50 of them. My art career began with graffiti, but I discovered an allergy to jail which motivated me to start using a brush.
I’ve modeled my career after the training sequence in “Samurai Jack”, (the award winning animated series) who mastered many fighting styles before venturing out against his enemy. I took every opportunity to master a wide variety of styles and media, now I can pick and choose the best technique and material for the task at hand. As a result It has been challenging to decide on a single style or image, that I can call my own. To market myself by and make a name for. I do however enjoy the variety of projects that come my way, and for each one I start over again, from scratch, building a style guide, following my own rules until the space is filled, making notes and keeping recipes in case they are needed in the future, and ultimately starting over again on a new project.
ABOUT THE MURAL
Often employing bold and graphic lines to create compositions that draw the viewer’s eye to the patterns and forms found in nature, Malt aims to create a visual language that invites viewers to contemplate their place in the world and their connection with nature
"In my art, I’ve always gravitated towards nature and birds to be more specific. Their movement and fluid like flight was what I was originally drawn to. Over the years, the subject matter has stayed the same, but with the recent work I’ve been really interested in deconstructing the imagery, focusing on form rather than subject, using bold lines and shapes to suggest the abstracted movement."
— Rick Malt
PLANTER PICTURES








PROCESS PICTURES






EXAMPLES OF RICK'S WORK



PRESS

2025 Golden Paintbrush Award Winners
A2GOV | MARCH 2026
The A2AC Murals and Planters project has helped turn walls and sidewalks across Ann Arbor into bright, welcoming spaces filled with local art. Led by the Ann Arbor Art Center through its Art in Public initiative, the program has supported large-scale murals and hand-painted planters throughout downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. These works showcase a wide range of artistic styles and voices while bringing color, creativity, and energy to everyday places where people live, shop, and gather. By partnering with local businesses, property owners, and community members, A2AC Murals and Planters strengthens Ann Arbor’s identity as a city that values public art and makes creativity visible and accessible to all. The 2025 planter installations recognized through the Golden Paintbrush Award were created by local artists Bill Burgard and Rick Malt.





