As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, the mission of the National Mural Awards is to celebrate the community-building power of murals as well as the overwhelming talent of the artists who create them. In early 2023, we launched the National Mural Awards as a proof-of-concept entity to reward artists on a national scale – all while beginning to build a network of artists, community leaders, public art programs, local arts agencies, media outlets and corporate sponsors who might otherwise have difficulty finding each other. The inaugural awards featured artists from across the US, highlighting a wide array of styles and subjects.