As you turn the corner from Main Street onto East Decker Street in Viroqua, your eyes are drawn to the bold red wall of Maybe Lately’s Cafe. A mural bursts into color: tall purple coneflower and swamp milkweed sway beside curling green ferns, while monarch and swallowtail butterflies flit across the deep green background. Inside, the cafe hums with cozy energy, local artwork, and the warmth of community. This mural doesn’t just sit on the wall, it moves with the rhythm of life in this vibrant corner of Wisconsin. Artist Natalie Hinahara shares the story behind the mural.

This mural was the first collaborative project between Stella Greendeer, Anna Kimm, and myself. Throughout this project we started calling ourselves The Smockettes, a name that grew out of our shared love of painting and dancing, sometimes at the same time. The collaboration came together in a very organic way. The owner of Maybe Lately’s reached out to each of us individually about painting a mural on the wall, but we quickly realized it could be something really special if we combined our creative backgrounds and skills. It was a creative risk, but the collaboration felt natural, and we all contributed to every step of the process.

The wall itself presented some challenges, with its intense red color and unusual shape. Stella guided the overall composition, suggesting symmetry inspired by textile patterns and a border influenced by Ho-Chunk appliqué designs that celebrate her heritage. We sketched, shared ideas, and blended elements from each of our drawings into the final design. After priming the wall, we drew a grid to guide the rest of the drawing and painting. We created stencils for the border so we could accurately scale and transfer the shapes.

The imagery celebrates native plants and pollinators: echinacea at the center, flanked by milkweed, ferns, monarch and swallowtail butterflies, and bees. The design is balanced and symmetrical, echoing patterns found in nature and regional flora. Watching these elements come together, and seeing the mural transform the cafe patio, was a reminder that public art can be accessible and inviting to everyone, sparking curiosity well beyond galleries and museums.

If you would like to see the other murals created by the Smockettes, our Spring Ephemerals mural is just a short walk away on the south side of town. We also have a small mural at a local business called Keeper Goods in Onalaska, Wisconsin.