Charles City ‘Town of Colors’ mural project seeks funding to continue outdoor art project

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Four or even five more outdoor murals could join the “Town of Colors” project in Charles City this year if enough funding is available.

So far, the sites identified for the next phase of the project are:

• The river wall facing Riverfront Park.
• The Wisconsin Street apartments wall facing Trinity Methodist church
• The back wall of Rustic Corner and the Charles Theatre.
• The back wall of Saxony.

“If we would raise enough money, the south wall of North Main Car Wash may be included,” said Dean Andrews, the Charles City mayor and one of the organizers of the project.

The budget for the four walls is $38,220, Andrews said. So far the mural project has $7,806 remaining from last year, $8,000 in grants, $3,350 from the buildings’ owners, and $10,000 from a Charles City cultural/entertainment grant, for a total of $29,156.

“We have applied for some other grants, but have not heard back yet. We therefore need to raise about $9,000 to complete the four murals,” Andrews said.

“This year local artists Robin Macomber and Janiece Bergland will each be doing a mural. We are also working with two out-of-town artists” he said. Projects are expected to be completed by Sept. 30.

“We appreciated all of the financial support we received locally last year, and hope we can receive a similar response this year as we continue our goal to create a ‘Town of Colors’ in Charles City,” he said.

Andrews credits a group of Iowa BIG North students with coming up with the idea for Town of Colors. After hearing the students’ vision, Andrews organized a task force to look at the possibility of starting a building mural program.

The Charles City Arts Center took the lead, with Arts Center Director Emily Kiewel and Arts Council board member Linda Wolff joining Andrews on the task force, along with City Council representative Phoebe Pittman and Community Development Director Mark Wicks.

“The goal was to create additional public art spaces in Charles City to further beautify the community and enhance the quality of life for residents,” Wicks said previously.

“Similar building mural projects elsewhere such as in Dubuque and Iowa City have proven the tourism interest and positive economic impact that such programs can have,” he added.

“When Charles City previously took part in the national America in Bloom contest, the judges commented that Main Street could use more color. The Town of Colors project was a way to help accomplish that on a large scale,” Wicks said.

The  Town of Colors project’s initial efforts resulted in two eye-catching, building-size murals downtown on the side of the Snap Fitness wall at 222 N. Jackson St. and the wall facing the First Citizens Bank parking lot at 300 N. Main St.

“Prairie” is a collaborative mural by world-renowned artists Erik Burke and Gaia (Andrew Pisacane) in the bank lot which reflects Charles City’s colorful natural habitat and wildlife.

For the side wall of Snap Fitness, “Bodies in Motion” is a layered mural of men and women of different races/color that is also a collaborative effort between Gaia and Burke.

“This energetic mural is a perfect fit for a fitness center, and both murals are an explosion of color on what were previously unremarkable walls,” Wicks said.

Kiewel said the murals are a major statement about the value Charles City places on the fine arts and help raise public awareness.

She also commented on the economic impact from the tourism element the murals bring as an attraction to come to downtown Charles City.

As more and more building murals are added, a mural tour can be offered and promoted, she said. Businesses downtown can also benefit from the increased traffic and exposure.

To find out more about Town of Colors or to donate to the project, contact the Charles City Arts Center at (641) 228-6284, email charlescityarts@gmail.com or visit the Arts Center website at www.charlescityarts.org and click on “Town of Colors” in the menu bar.