Hundreds help paint mural in downtown Des Moines

Once the mural is done, organizers hope it will draw more people to the city.

Once the mural is done, organizers hope it will draw more people to the city.

A NATIVE PRAIRIE HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA. DOZENS OF PEOPLE PICKED UP A PAINTBRUSH AND CONTRIBUTED TO A GIANT MURAL IN THE DOWNTOWN DES MOINES SKYWALK. THOSE ORGANIZERS BELIEVE THAT THAT MURAL GOES BEYOND JUST A WORK OF ART. AT THE LOCUST STREET SKYWALK. THIS MURAL IS A GIANT COLORING BOOK. THE NUMBER FOUR IS FOR YELLOW, AND FIVE MEANS GREEN. IT’S NOT A MONET, IT’S A MAX. THE PAINTERS ARE MADE UP OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, ADDING COLOR TO CLARE CENTERVILLE DESIGN. IN THIS CASE, IT’S REALLY NEAT TO GET TO SHARE IN THAT PROCESS OF CREATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE MURAL. YOU CAN SPOT GEMS FROM IOWA, INCLUDING THE IOWA STATE FAIR, BUTTER COW, TULIPS IN PELLA AND THE HOT AIR BALLOON FROM INDIANOLA. IT STARTED WITH THINGS THAT I THINK OF AS BEING IMPORTANT TO ME AND BEING HERE AND PART OF THE DES MOINES COMMUNITY, AND THEN SPREAD OUT FROM THERE. ONCE THE MURAL IS DONE, ORGANIZERS FROM THE GREATER DES MOINES PARTNERSHIP HOPE IT WILL DRAW MORE PEOPLE TO THE AREA. IT JUST REALLY MAKES EVERYTHING VIBRANT. IT BRIGHTENS THE WHOLE SPACE UP. IT HELPS BRING PEOPLE DOWNTOWN WHO WOULDN’T NORMALLY COME TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND HELPS ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY. SEPARATELY FROM THE MURAL, THE PARTNERSHIP IS WORKING ON TWO OTHER PROJECTS TO TRANSFORM SKYWALKS THROUGH ART. TWO SECTIONS WILL GET AN UPGRADE, INCLUDING LIGHTING, PAINT OR DESIGN CHAN

Hundreds help paint mural in downtown Des Moines

Once the mural is done, organizers hope it will draw more people to the city.

Dozens of people picked up paint brushes and contributed to a giant mural at the Locust Street skywalk in downtown Des Moines on Friday and Saturday. The painters were members of the community who added color to Claire Sedovic's design. "It's really neat to get to share in that process of creation with the community," Sedovic said. Across the mural, designs include gems from across Iowa, including the state fair butter cow, tulips in Pella and the hot air balloon from Indianola. "Started with things that I think of as being important to me and being here and part of the Des Moines community, and then spread out from there," Sedovic said. Once the mural is done, organizers from the Greater Des Moines Partnership hope it will draw more people to the area. "It just really makes everything vibrant and brightens the whole space up. It helps bring people downtown who wouldn't normally come to the downtown area and helps enhance the community," Molly Atkins with the Greater Des Moines Partnership said. Separately from the mural, the partnership is working on two other projects to transform skywalks through art. Two sections will get an upgrade, including lighting, paint or design changes. Those are expected to be done in April.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

"It's really neat to get to share in that process of creation with the community," Sedovic said.

Across the mural, designs include gems from across Iowa, including the state fair butter cow, tulips in Pella and the hot air balloon from Indianola.

"Started with things that I think of as being important to me and being here and part of the Des Moines community, and then spread out from there," Sedovic said.

Once the mural is done, organizers from the Greater Des Moines Partnership hope it will draw more people to the area.

"It just really makes everything vibrant and brightens the whole space up. It helps bring people downtown who wouldn't normally come to the downtown area and helps enhance the community," Molly Atkins with the Greater Des Moines Partnership said.

Separately from the mural, the partnership is working on two other projects to transform skywalks through art. Two sections will get an upgrade, including lighting, paint or design changes. Those are expected to be done in April.

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