Women of Detroit Music Mural
4565 Trumbull St. (located on southside of building)
Detroit
June 3, 2026
Nicole Macdonald’s latest mural in Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood is helping the bricks of a building sing a new tune.
For weeks, Macdonald has been working on a three-story mural on the backside of an apartment building that exclusively features legends of Detroit music. In this case, it’s all women who have had an outsized role in shaping the sound of the city and influencing others to do the same through their music.
It’s part of many projects that Macdonald has taken on over the past decade and beyond, focused on representation of Detroit’s creative community and the citizens that live here. Portraits are her thing, and she’s become a master at holding up a mirror to Detroiters.
These Detroiters are true giants – and now they’re absolutely giant-sized via this mural.
We’re talking about Geri Allen, considered one of the greatest contemporary jazz pianists of our time, who was also a prolific educator that inspired a whole wave of piano players after her. She’s got her arm draped over her piano, peering out into the Woodbridge neighborhood.
Alice Coltrane is painted up in the upper right hand corner, peering down on her peers with a look that oozes the spirituality and musical identity that Coltrane embraced and was known for.
The detailing on both of these faces is astonishing; Macdonald has spent so long getting these likenesses right. The last thing a muralist would want is someone walking by and mistaking these faces for someone else's.
Macdonald also chose to celebrate jazz violinist Regina Carter, one of the best jazz bassists on the planet, Marion Hayden, and bebop jazz singer Sheila Jordan. Each one of these women are Detroit legends and well respected within their mediums.
I’ve often written about the value of a mural in a neighborhood. It’s vibrant. It’s colorful. In this case, Macdonald has managed to capture the energy of these performers, which is often the critical difference between a good mural and a great mural -- does it feel like it's moving?
On top of that, Macdonald has added an educational component. While there isn’t some direct placard explaining the legacy and importance of these musicians, it will at least propel people passing by to ask about them and hopefully discover their music and the stories behind these women of Detroit music.
