National Historic District – Albion
National Register of Historic Places listings in Calhoun County, Michigan Superior Street Commercial Historic District, ID Number P2399 Significant Dates: 1845-1945 National Register Listed: 08/18/1997
Albion College Art Students Bring Downtown to Life with Trackside Mural
By Brenna Staley from Albion Life Today
October 6, 2025
Driving south on Superior Street as you enter downtown Albion, you may notice something new that catches your eye. It is something colorful, something exciting, something wholeheartedly Albion. An in-progress mural will soon welcome visitors and residents alike to the City of Albion.
Driving South on Superior Street as you enter downtown Albion, you may notice something new that catches your eye. It is something colorful, something exciting, something wholeheartedly Albion. An in-progress mural will soon welcome visitors and residents alike to the City of Albion.
On the side of Ruddock’s Trackside Eatery and Pub, a mural is taking shape that reads, “Welcome to Albion: Historic Downtown Business District.” The mural features an image of a train that chugs along the brick side of the building. The letters of the word “Albion” are being filled with images of local landmarks, and the “A” being painted like the one in the Albion College logo.
Co-owners of Trackside Eatery and Pub, Shawn and Francine Ruddock, got the idea for the mural from other small towns with similar “Welcome To” murals, such as the one in Albion’s neighboring town of Marshall. Francine also noted that Trackside’s exterior wall is the “prime spot” for an Albion mural, since Trackside is located on a high traffic corner and people will see it right as they enter downtown. From there, the Ruddocks wondered how they could partner with Albion College to make their plan a reality.
Perhaps the best part about this mural is the collaboration that brings it to life. The mural is being painted by Albion College students in Professor Michael Dixon’s Creative 2-D Process class. Dixon himself is no stranger to the art of mural creation. He recently completed another mural downtown Albion that celebrates 25 years of connection between Albion and their Parisian sister city, which was unveiled at the Festival of the Forks Celebration last month.
Dixon described the impact of the Trackside mural on both the students and the community. “I think that it’s a great experience for the students and it’s giving back to the community, so both those things combined are perfect,” he said.
As for the students’ experience, they each had different favorite parts about the project.
“My favorite part of this project is being able to contribute something to the town,” said Albion College sophomore, Julie Fontana. “It’s cool how Albion lets us do something for the town as part of our class time.”
For Albion College junior, Camden Paul, his favorite part was a bit more appetite driven. “Trackside gives us food after we’re done painting,” said Paul with a smile.
Francine spoke highly of the student artists. “Oh, they’re awesome,” Francine said. “We love working with them. We try to feed them every time they’re here, so they always appreciate that, and it’s fun to talk to them.”
Although the mural is still in the works, Francine said their goal is to hopefully have it completed by Albion College’s homecoming weekend in mid-October. Francine also expressed interest in potentially hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize all the hard work Dixon and his students have put into painting the mural.
Looking to the future, Shawn said that his overarching goal with the mural project is to grow Trackside’s connection with the college and students. Shawn says the mural serves a “dual purpose.” First, to give Albion an iconic “Welcome To” mural. Second, to grow closer with the college, its staff, and students. Shawn also sees opportunities for future art classes to possibly add more to the mural in coming years.
The Trackside mural project is one where everybody wins. Students gain real world art experience, Trackside will have a mural enticing people to stop by, and the residents and visitors of Albion will have a colorful welcome sign inviting them downtown.
