As pedestrians wandered down the Ped Mall in Iowa City during the eighth annual downtown block party on Saturday, June 28, they were greeted with live performances, countless food vendors, and the sight of a brand new mural — one they were invited to help finish.
Iowa City Downtown District, Think Iowa City, and the Johnson County Community Foundation teamed up to sponsor a new mural. Unlike current murals in the area, this one comes with a unique twist — it is a giant, community coloring book.
University of Iowa alum Laura Palmer painted iconic Iowa City and University of Iowa symbols all along the mural, and the artwork was completed by community members with vibrant splashes of blue, green, red, and yellow.
The interactive mural was the perfect addition to this year’s block party, said Iowa City Downtown District Director of Special Events Katie Carpenter.
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“The goal of the block party is to make it super interactive and to see things that you don’t normally see,” Carpenter said. “To walk by and see a mural coming to life and to realize, ‘Oh, I can actually play a part in that,’ is something that is super unique.”
Originally, the mural was created with the intent to bring the community together — something Carpenter saw in action during the block party.
“It engages the community,” Carpenter said. “It brings not only the attendees at the block party together, but businesses too. It makes everyone excited about the same thing and is a good reminder that’s why Iowa City is thriving.”
For incoming fourth-year University of Iowa student Camryn Ward, painting the mural was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community she has loved living in for nearly four years.
“I love that every time I walk through the Ped Mall now, I’ll have a great story to tell about the art there,” she said.
The mural also served as the perfect opportunity for all three organizations to work together on a project. While Iowa City Downtown District has sponsored murals in the past, Think Iowa City and Johnson County Community Foundation had not had the chance until now, Carpenter said.
Think Iowa City Vice President of Sales Stacey Houseman wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that the organization was proud to partner up and help sponsor the new mural.
“When we started having conversations about this mural, we prioritized ensuring that it reflected everything that makes the Iowa City/Coralville area so unique,” she wrote. “By making the mural interactive, it really brought the community element to life.”
Following the block party, Carpenter and Houseman both said the impact of the mural is something community members will remember for years to come.
“It makes you feel more connected to downtown and gives you something to talk about when you’re downtown,” Carpenter said. “It gives you a sweet story to share with people.”
“Those who participated in painting it during the downtown block party will always have a literal and lasting hand in its creation,” Houseman wrote.