BURLINGTON, Vermont — The walls of the Central Transit Hub may soon tell a new story.

The Burlington Arts Council announced Friday that more than 30 mural proposals arrived in the first 48 hours after its open call went out Thursday, a response that council chair Miriam Osei-Bonsu called “well ahead of what we saw for comparable commissions.”

The commission marks the sixth anniversary of the Philadelphia Declaration, the founding document signed in January 2036 that established the Republic of New America. Artists from seven of RONA's principalities have submitted work, including two proposals from the recently integrated Montreal region — a breadth that speaks to the commission's reach beyond Vermont's own borders.

The mural's chosen home gives the project particular local weight. The Central Transit Hub is one of Burlington's busiest public buildings, a daily waypoint for commuters, students, and travelers moving between the city and the wider principality. Whatever image ultimately lands on that exterior wall will be, in effect, Burlington's face to itself.

“This is a building people don't just visit — they pass through it,” Osei-Bonsu said. “That matters when you're thinking about what kind of art belongs there.”

The submission window remains open through March 28. The council has not announced a timeline for final selection.