On November 24, 2025, a new mural was completed at Qahwah House at 1851 Central Ave NE by Gustavo Lira and Xilam Balm. It is the replacement for the mural they created back in 2022. That vibrant mural “Flor de Piña” for the restaurant Half Fancy on Central Ave. Only a few months later, Half Fancy went out of business, and the building sat empty for around a year. A new tenant moved into the building, and shortly after, the mural workers painted over and destroyed it on Wednesday, May 8, 2022.
The Minneapolis Great Streets community funded the original mural, which was administered by the Chamber of Commerce and finished in October 2022. Gustavo and crew put in 200 hours creating the mural over three months. Gustavo and the crew were shocked as they were never notified it would be painted over. The community outpouring was passionate.
There was confusion between the new tenant and the building owner, Tryg Truelson, of the Truelson restaurant family that used to run Porky’s, and the city had no response to address the issue. Everyone pointed fingers at everyone else; no one was taking responsibility.
You can read more about the situation in two articles that the Arts District profiled.
Lessons from the mural destruction on Central Avenue
Mural Rights Discussion starts
The Arts District convened a meeting with the Minneapolis Arts and Cultural Affairs department and Minneapolis Arts Commission member Lana Aylesworth, who heads the commission’s policy group. We discussed the situation surrounding the destruction of a rash of murals at the time, and developed solutions to mitigate the impact and to provide more artists with tools before and after an incident. They took it to heart, and Mary Altman and her team worked to update the city’s Public Art program. The Arts District received a copy on November 18, 2025. Bringing Murals to Minneapolis: A guide for artists, community groups, and businesses
The document is much easier to read, and all the information is in one place, giving artists and businesses more precise guidance on commissioning public art murals. This document is a necessary step to help educate and ensure that public art, once installed, has pathways to protect artists before any artwork project is initiated. It also outlines what to do if the mural is damaged or destroyed.
As a follow-up to a discussion with Gustavo Lira, he stated that Qahwah House reached out to Gustavo and wanted to make the situation right. In conversation with the Chamber of Commerce, they found a new grant to help pay for a new mural with funds from the coffee shop, too. Gustavo and Xilam Balm went to work on the latest mural in mid-August. They finished the mural on November 24, 2025. Gustavo said the new mural is called Highlands. It is where Qahwah House’s coffee comes from. The altitude and latitude where they grow the coffee are unique, and they wanted the mural to reflect its origins. Gustavo said he was very satisfied with being able to remake the mural.
Written by Josh Blanc