HAPA UNVEILS FIRST MURAL OF 2026
January 28, 2026HATTIESBURG, MS (Jan 28, 2026) –– Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (HAPA) unveiled the city’s first mural of 2026 today. Titled “We Only Come Out at Night,” the original artwork highlights nocturnal animals native to Mississippi. It is Hattiesburg’s 69th large-scale mural.
Located just off the Longleaf Trace on 4th Avenue within the city limits, the mural features animals seen along the trail including the Great Horned Owl, Red Fox, Common Nighthawk, and Raccoon.
“This large-scale mural is our second nod to native wildlife along the Trace, and we are extremely impressed by the talents of artist Gavin Bird for his depictions of the animals featured,” said VisitHATTIESBURG CEO Marlo Dorsey. “The tunnel mural, which is just a few miles west of this one, has been a highly popular spot for cyclists and hikers to visit. As we continue our quest of becoming the city of 100 murals, we want to ensure we are honoring the landscapes and living things that create Hattiesburg’s beautiful outdoors.”
Mississippi artist Gavin Bird painted the 99-foot-long mural, one of the longest of Hattiesburg’s painted walls. Bird has previously contributed two murals to Hattiesburg’s creative landscape and completed dozens of others throughout the state. When painting murals in public spaces, Bird’s focus is to create timeless art that highlights the culture and history of that individual community.
“I was so excited when originally approached for this commission,” said Bird. “I love painting native wildlife, so this was a unique opportunity to explore some moodier color palettes and paint animals that hide in the shadows.”
“We Only Come Out at Night” is the first mural for 2026 but follows a year of significant growth for the city’s public art portfolio. In 2025, HAPA completed ten large-scale murals, 22 painted boxes in Phase 4 of the HBURG Utility Project, and the return of a public sculpture show featuring 12 new original piecess .
HAPA extends special thanks to Neel-Schaffer Engineering for their support of this project. Since 2020, HAPA has worked with partners to grow Hattiesburg’s public art footprint throughout the city. The total number of public art pieces in the community now exceeds 125.
To learn more about HAPA or to view a map of existing public art in Hattiesburg, visit HAPA’s Facebook and Instagram pages or hburgart.com.
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A program of VisitHATTIESBURG, HAPA began in 2014 through the leadership of community members and generous donors passionate about publicly sharing art and making it accessible to all. HAPA continues to purchase and place art throughout the city – in parks, neighborhoods, public buildings, and businesses – while also raising awareness for works of art already in the area. The organization is partially funded by VisitHATTIESBURG, Mississippi Arts Commission grants, the City of Hattiesburg, and other local organizations and individuals who believe in the importance of public art.