The many murals of Marshalltown, Iowa

The bustling city of Marshalltown has made a concerted effort to host murals that brighten up the community. Follow along for some fun photo ops. 

Murals have been taking the spotlight in communities across the country, and towns and cities in Iowa have taken notice. Several communities around the state have seen a growing number of murals go up.

For example, spurred on by support from the local Arts & Culture Alliance, murals have blossomed all around Marshalltown—more than 20 over the last several years! The murals are scattered all across the city, so you get to visit a variety of neighborhoods on the tour as well. 

Photo courtesy of Arts + Culture Alliance.

There are ten murals just in the downtown core. They include:

• A selfie mural by Des Moines artist Jenna Brownlee (this was the first mural in town!) 
• A paper airplane mural (accompanied by some sidewalk poetry!) 
• Marshalltown’s Starry Night painted by Melynda McCord and Landaca Czerniewaki 
• A postcard mural by artist Jimmy Navarro which mimics the style of a vintage postcard
• Several murals on local businesses depicting images of Iowa agriculture and wildlife
• A very vibrant mural on the side of the Orpheum theater
• And a unique gallery garden

Photo courtesy of Arts + Culture Alliance.

Several murals around town honor those who have served in the armed forces, including the VFW mural at the VFW Hall and the Veterans Mural, which is located on the side of a business in the city’s West End. Plus, the local Freedom Rock at the American Legion Golf Course is also painted with a mural. 

The graffiti wall at the Marshalltown skatepark features works by a rotating selection of artists, offering a unique approach to the mural trail. The wall is maintained by the city’s parks and recreation department and is open to the community on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents are encouraged to be creative and respectful. The mural wall is whitewashed periodically to encourage new art. 

Several works offer a sign of greeting to various parts of town. The “Somos Marshalltown” mural on the side of La Carreta Mexican Grill is a bright welcome.

Even the local elementary schools got involved. There’s a “Look Both Ways” safety mural right on the street outside of Franklin Elementary.

Students from Marshalltown Community College helped create an underwater-themed mural for the local aquatics center. 

Photo courtesy of Arts + Culture Alliance.

Four murals were recently added in specific neighborhoods outside of downtown to help depict the city’s diversity and the community’s resilience following the 2018 tornado and the 2020 derecho that battered Marshalltown. Street artist Sasha Reisin of Argentina created the new murals, titling them Chapter 1 (Diversity), Chapter 2 (Resiliency), Chapter 3 (Remembrance), and Chapter 4 (Dreams). These stunning murals are an incredible depiction of the rich fabric of the community and its commitment to each other and the arts. 

As you can see, there are murals at nearly every turn in Marshalltown. And that’s not all!

There is plenty of other public art to find around Marshalltown as well, from cool sculptures at the local high school to the 18-foot-tall Buddha statue at Theravada Dhamma Society of Iowa—one of the largest in the country.

Photo courtesy of Arts + Culture Alliance.

You can learn more and find interactive maps by visiting the Arts & Culture Alliance’s website. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.