OCCOQUAN, VIRGINIA, June 26, 2026 — The Town of Occoquan, is pleased to announce the opening of The Mural Garden, a micro-park and public art display in Occoquan, Virginia. A dedication for the mural artist and park opening will be held Saturday, June 27 at 10:00am, hosted by Town Mayor, Earnie Porta.
In 2025 Occoquan received an FY26 Virginia Main Street Community Vitality Grant for the creation of a pocket park in a small lot on Mill Street. For years this lot has held a small brick building, used primarily for public works storage. In addition to transforming this space into a park, a contest was opened to select an artist to create a four-sided mural on the existing brick building.
20 artists applied for the public art project. In the end, Occoquan Town Council selected the work of Tyler Kauffman, a muralist out of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Tyler began his project in early June, just after the close of the annual RiverFest & Craft Show. Over the course of the project, visitors and residents may have noticed the “doodle grid” outlining the brick walls of the old pump house. Dark green spray paint in X’s and O’s and the words “this is not graffiti” gave Tyler a visual grid base to start his large-scale creation. “[This is] one of the most enjoyable stages of a mural. The looks I get are priceless,” Tyler commented on a recent social media post.
"We're exceptionally pleased with Tyler's work.” says Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta. “In addition to him and Virginia Main Street, I want to thank Occoquan Councilmember Eliot Perkins, who has been a consistent advocate for public art as an important component of our community."
Unlike Occoquan’s River Mill Park on the west end of town, the Mural Garden itself isn’t one you’ll rent for a wedding or family reunion. Measuring in at approximately 500 sf, this tiny lot is a quiet area to sit on a garden bench, take a break, and enjoy an outdoor art exhibit. “We are one of the tiniest towns in the DC metropolitan area. It’s on brand that we would have one of the tiniest parks as well.” says Sarah Burzio, Executive Director of tourism nonprofit Visit Occoquan.
“Together, this small garden park and mural transformed a once-overlooked space into a lasting tribute to our community’s past, present, and future through art and restoration.” comments Town Manager and Chief of Police, Adam Linn. He goes on to say how this small space was previously overlooked by passersby, but has now been transformed through the vision of Town Council, Town Staff, and the Planning Commission as they have “created a more attractive and functional public space.”
The concept of pocket parks started in the 1940s when postwar communities in Europe wanted to bring back town squares in smaller footprints. But the practice has gained popularity in the past decade, as smaller US downtowns looked for ways to utilize “pockets” of unused land. By creating beautification and greenery in otherwise empty lots, this concept helps revitalize communities both environmentally and visually. Plants help cool urban heat areas of buildings, concrete, and asphalt. Additional seating allows for greater accessibility for visitors and public art displays have shown to provide communities with a larger sense of belonging.