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Contributing Writer: Josh Cox, local artist and Arts & Culture Alliance Board Member  Marshalltown is on the brink of becoming an essential arts hub in Central Iowa. Through the exhaustive efforts of local cultural and civic leaders, Marshalltown is showing how communities can rebuild and restructure with the arts as a foundational element. As the Arts & Culture Master Plan says, "When an arts and culture master plan is adopted and integrated into a city’s comprehensive plan, amazing things happen. Art and culture can connect and renew Marshalltown, positioning us for collaboration and revitalization."
Marshalltown has the potential to become a true cultural powerhouse for Central Iowa but in order for that to happen, our local artist community has to take an active role in shaping and building that vision. It’s a popular misconception that artists are solitary souls, toiling away at their craft in a state of isolated "genius." But that's rarely the case - creating artwork in a vacuum isn’t just difficult, it’s next to impossible. Art after all, by very definition, is crafted out of a community consciousness. Art affects culture and culture affects art. This is why, as an artist and gallerist, I’m personally drawn to spaces and communities where artists work together. I enjoy working in the presence of other artists’ creative endeavors – I’m inspired by their struggles and successes and I crave the sorts of critical and supportive feedback that other artists can give me. One of the reasons that so few artists continue making work after graduation is a lack of an artistic community. While in school, art students are surrounded by artwork and art-making. Daily critiques and demos are just a part of the advantage of spending your days amidst an art-making “bonanza.” Now imagine being taken out of that environment essentially overnight, getting a 9-5 job to pay the bills and its to forget or neglect how important art-making is to you. The most important (and seemingly obvious, yet most often sadly overlooked) thing that an artist needs to do to be an artist is to make stuff. It is NOT easy to make things after a hard day’s work. It takes discipline, not just a desire. And that’s where an artist community can help – they can push you, hold you accountable, and inspire you to keep going. An organized artist community is also a boon to the community at large as it gives artist members a larger community voice that could hopefully translate into a greater civic understanding of the arts as cultural producer, not just an economic or social asset (the arts in Iowa contributed over $4 billion to the state economy in 2020). Local artists are already getting together to organize, but there are few key things that we need for this artistic community to really thrive and help Marshalltown achieve its cultural potential. Here are a few action items that local artists and community members could collaborate on: 1. Places to see (and show) art Marshalltown already has a long list of great public art (murals, sculptures, etc.). These are great - they enliven and enrich public spaces and they attract national attention to our town - but public art isn't a medium for every artist. Most local artists and their artwork are better suited for one-on-one engagements in a quiet spot (a gallery, cafe, storefront, etc). This town needs more spaces for artists to share artwork and for the community to see that artwork. 2. More (and deeper) interactions between artists and the community. Community members have limited opportunities to meet and greet with local artists - MCC gallery openings, street fairs, markets, etc. but these opportunities rarely provide enough time and space to really engage with artists and learn about their artwork. Marshalltown needs spaces and events for artists/community interactions throughout the year. A good art town makes art a part of its daily life, not just on the weekends or special events. 3. Opportunities for emerging artists. Not every artist has work ready for an exhibition nor is every artist ready to declare themselves an 'artist.' A good art town has an infrastructure (formal or informal) that supports and encourages these emerging artists. Whether through offering professional or technical advice, sharing much-needed yet expensive supplies, providing affordable studio space, guidance during exhibition submissions, or moral support, already established local artists can nurture and grow an arts community from the ground floor while also attracting new artists to town. Local artists are working towards these goals and so are civic and business leaders, but we need Marshalltown residents to pitch in as well. As the Arts & Culture Master Plan says, "Cities that weave arts and culture into the fabric of daily life become a destination for visitors. They drive economic prosperity. They become regional focal points. But most importantly, they bloom into a springboard of imagination and a creative home for their own residents. Conversations spark, connections are made and our community thrives."
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 The Arts & Culture Alliance invites Marshall County artists to attend their upcoming Artist Network Gathering with keynote speaker, Akwi Nji, on Monday, April 10th starting at 4pm at the Marshalltown Arts & Civic Center. Akwi Nji of Cedar Rapids, Iowa is coming to share words of inspiration with our local creators for a keynote titled ‘Radically Re-imagine and Re-engage with your Art Practice’. Akwi shared, “Change is in the air. There's no better time than now to take a close look at your art practice, honor where you've been, and refresh your focus on where you're headed. Let's talk real talk about what you can do to sharpen your focus, refine your goals, and create what's uniquely yours to create. This'll be a down-to-earth talk doubling as a jetpack of inspiration and motivation to fuel your art practice. Whatever your medium and wherever you are in your artistic journey, this is for you.” The evening begins with the Iowa Arts Council's ‘Meet the Artist’ Series from 4-6pm. The five Iowa Artist Fellows will have their work on display and give a presentation from 4:30-5:30pm. This portion of the evening is free and open to the public. The remainder of the evening is special for Marshall County Artists (free):
Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance shared, “we are dedicated to supporting, amplifying and connecting local artists. No matter your medium (musicians, visual and performing artists, etc.), if you are an emerging artist, have been working as a professional artist for years, or aren't sure you would even call yourself an artist (yet), we want to see you there.” Akwi is an artist creating in words, voice, and visual art. She specializes in creative personal narrative storytelling across artistic mediums and through producing and curating community-focused arts programming. Her work and words have appeared on stage from California's Wine Country to New York's Fashion Week. As a writer, voice artist, performer, and producer her collaborative partners include Emmy-award winning composers and nationally-renowned dancers and choreographers. She has been an Iowa Arts Council Fellow and, for her efforts in the business community, she was named one of Corridor Business Journal’s Forty Under 40. As stated in a recent editorial column from local artist and Arts & Culture Alliance Board Member, Josh Cox, “Marshalltown has the potential to become a true cultural powerhouse for Central Iowa, but in order for that to happen, our local artist community has to take an active role in shaping and building that vision.” The Arts & Culture Alliance invites the creative community to join us. As stated in the Arts & Culture Master Plan, a community that dreams together, grows together. All of us are the creative community – join in and take pART! For more information and details about the event visit: www.artsandculturealliance.org/experience Add the event to your calendar on Facebook! The Arts & Culture Alliance is proud to share the City of Marshalltown’s award of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Destination Iowa’s Creative Placemaking Grant in the amount of two million dollars for the Linn Creek District. This exciting effort was made possible through a collaboration between the City of Marshalltown, Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Arts & Culture Alliance and Marshalltown Arts & Civic Center.
Destination Iowa was a $100 million investment, available through the federal American Recue Plan Act, to bolster the quality of life in Iowa’s communities and attract visitors and new residents to the state. Specifically, the Creative Placemaking category is about creating attractive and memorable places for people to live and work by developing transformational projects that leverage local community assets to improve the experience for visitors and residents of the area. Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, Amber Danielson, shared “the projects this funding will support directly ties to the recently adopted Arts & Culture Master Plan. We know that cities that weave arts and culture into the fabric of daily life become a destination for visitors, drive economic prosperity and become regional focal points. But most importantly, they bloom into a springboard of imagination and a creative home for their own residents.” The development of the Linn Creek District has been on Marshalltown’s radar for decades. It is a continuously developing destination, centrally located in our community along the Linn Creek corridor, just south of our historic downtown. In 2007, community planning efforts resulted in Marshalltown’s vision plan, IMAGINE, which included the Linn Creek District as one of the seven big ideas. The vision for the district included transforming the Linn Creek banks into gathering places for events, sports and recreation opportunities, an interactive museum, and improvements to the playhouse. Since the development of the vision plan, many of these projects have come to fruition. Most recently, the district has seen new housing development, expanded park areas, reinvigorated entertainment businesses, reimagined cultural spaces and expanded commercial operations. The development in this district, with a focus on creative placemaking, will tie together cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities, while conveniently connecting our community to this centrally located asset. The exciting projects included in this funding opportunity is the development of the Iowa River’s Edge Trailhead and bridge connection, Water Plaza and renovations to the Martha-Ellen Tye Playhouse. President and CEO of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, John Hall, stated, “we couldn’t be more pleased of the support from IEDA and the Governor’s Office for our Destination Iowa Projects. Advancing these efforts will continue to support our efforts to recruit and retain folks in our community by providing the necessary quality of place amenities that so many families and others are looking for in a place to call home.” Locally, we can point to the 13th Street District as an example of successful creative placemaking. The 13th Street District showcases a grassroots effort to enhance a space with a creative approach to foster economic development, recreation opportunities and community pride. A creative approach on the development in this area has led to a thriving and unique experience in our community, filled with people and vibrancy on a daily basis. It is now home to Iowa’s Best Burger, Iowa’s first outdoor lit futsal courts, our community’s largest public art installation, a one-of-a-kind natural playscape, an outdoor event space and so much more. This is creative placemaking at its best and it is a successful model ready to be adopted in other spaces throughout our community. “It is exciting to see the hard work across multiple parties finally payoff as we look to receive the funds for the Destination Iowa grant at our upcoming council meeting. This speaks to the very reason we adopted the Arts & Culture Master plan and continue to partner with the community as we build out the Linn Creek Corridor. I look forward to positive level of engagement across the new Marshall County supervisors, Arts & Culture Alliance, Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce and others as we continue the great growth we’ve already started to experience”, shared City Council Member, Gabe Isom. The Arts & Culture Alliance invites the community to take join in on the recently launched Arts & Culture Master Plan. The plan is an invitation to imagine, build and create community together. A community that dreams together, grows together. All of us are the creative community – join in and take pART! Learn more about the Master Plan here!
The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to share the goal has been met of raising $1,000 for art supplies to match local grant funds. Our partnership with West Marshall High School’s Student Philanthropy group, L.U.C.C. (Leading Uplifting our Community with Charity), allowed us to match each dollar raised. With the help of the community, a total of $2,000 was raised for art supplies to support YSS of Marshall County’s programming and therapy services.
Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Marshall County, Julie Hitchins, shared, “the students from L.U.C.C. were excited to provide this matching gift opportunity. By offering this challenge to the community the students learned how their grant dollars could be doubled and even more services provided”. The art supply drive began in 2020 when YSS was experiencing a 75% increase in therapy cases due to an increase in anxiety, stress and fear from COVID-19. Originally, we anticipated this effort to be a one-time occurrence. However, the response and benefits we have seen transpire out of these art supplies has far exceeded our expectations. Director of YSS, David Hicks, said, “thank you to the Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance and those who generously supported our collaboration once again. Art goes beyond being creative and showcasing talents – it can comfort, heal, and creates an opportunity to process feelings and reduce anxiety. Art provides the people we serve a safe outlet for an emotional release”. In 2022, from January to June, YSS has seen a 250% increase in clients coming in for medication management. Youth are especially vulnerable as they are often unable to naturally express how they feel verbally. However, therapists at YSS can connect with their feelings more effectively through creative means. Art provides an avenue to express how they feel through color and content. The value of art – written poetry, drawn pictures, etc., often says more than the spoken word, especially those with limited language. Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, Amber Danielson, shared “thank you to everyone who supported this important effort. We have numerous stories of youth creating artwork while they are on their healing journey and the outcomes are stunning. We are beyond grateful to be able to continue this effort and provide creative outlets for the youth of Marshall County,” shared. The mission of YSS is to provide prevention, education, treatment and residential services to children, youth and families; to advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow and be self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society. The Arts & Culture Alliance, a non-profit organization, was created in 2004 to cultivate a community of arts and culture by supporting, promoting and enriching existing opportunities and by seeking new possibilities. Our mission allows us to focus on enhancing the quality of life in Marshalltown by making it a place in which arts and culture thrive and our community flourishes. For more information or questions, please us at (641) 752-ARTS or director@artsandculturealliance.org www.artsandculturealliance.org  The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to launch, take pART Marshalltown. Take pART Marshalltown seeks to encourage engagement in arts and culture in the community through sharing unique experiences. It is a call to action for residents and visitors to take pART in the amazing events, activities and creative spaces we have in Marshalltown. The Alliance invites the community to enjoy a digital interactive arts and culture map highlighting arts and culture experiences, creative spaces, public art and murals. The map is split into three different Marshalltown experiences including Downtown, 13th Street and Linn Creek District. The map can be filtered and customized to each user depending on if they are seeking an experience or want to discover all of the murals. Marshalltown Tourism Director, Andrew Potter, shared, “we are excited for this takepART campaign as it will shed a light on the continued momentum of the celebration of arts in our community. Visiting groups are taking notice and area residents are taking pride in our growing public art inventory and all of the benefits it affords.” In addition to the website and interactive map, the Alliance is excited to attend local events and give out #takepARTmarshalltown merchandise including stickers, magnets, postcards and temporary tattoos. They will work to spread the merchandise and new digital map throughout the entire community. If you have an upcoming event or activity that you would like to have us join, please reach out to the Alliance. Arts & Culture Alliance Executive Director, Amber Danielson, said, “the creative environment in our community is thriving and we are beyond excited to amplify and promote all the unique experiences and spaces in Marshalltown.” Check out the interactive arts and culture map at takepartmarshalltown.org Don't forget to share your photos and use #takepARTmarshalltown when you take pART in our community. For more information or questions, please us at (641) 752-ARTS or director@artsandculturealliance.org www.artsandculturealliance.org takepartmarshalltown.org   In collaboration with Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance, McFarland Clinic is conducting a photography contest to showcase our community and provide an inspiring and healing environment in the new facility. Area residents and photographers are encouraged to submit digital images which capture the beauty of Central Iowa.
McFarland Clinic is currently constructing a 66,000 square foot state-of-the art facility at 421 East Merle Hibbs Blvd in Marshalltown. The $20 million facility will allow for more comfortable and efficient use of space to provide patient care. With the help of the local community, the artwork planned for the facility will celebrate the natural beauty of Central Iowa found in nature's colors, wildlife, landscape and iconic images of our area. McFarland Clinic’s Executive Director, Deb Wollam, shared "we are excited for the opportunity to provide a beautiful and uplifting environment for patients in the new facility with a combination of natural lighting and photos of scenic landscapes, nature, wildlife, plants and iconic places from Central Iowa." The contest is seeking photos taken of Central Iowa in three different categories: Scenic Landscapes & Nature, Native Wildlife & Plants and Iconic places. A total of 25 photos will be selected by the McFarland Clinic Facilities Committee for permanent photographic art installations in the new facility. A $100 stipend per image will be awarded to the photographers of the selected photos. Executive Director, Amber Danielson, shared, “we are thrilled about our partnership with McFarland Clinic and their support of local arts in their new facility. This is an outstanding opportunity for regional photographers to be showcased for years to come.” Artist applications are due on Sunday, August 7th and final selections will be decided by mid-September. The facility is currently planning for an early 2023 opening. More details about the application requirements can be found at artsandculturealliance.org/artist-opportunities The Arts & Culture Alliance, a non-profit organization, was created in 2004 to cultivate a community of arts and culture by supporting, promoting and enriching existing opportunities and by seeking new possibilities. Our mission allows us to focus on enhancing the quality of life in Marshalltown by making it a place in which arts and culture thrive and our community flourishes. ### For more information or questions, please us at (641) 752-ARTS or director@artsandculturealliance.org www.artsandculturealliance.org  The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to be kicking off our third annual art supply drive in partnership with an amazing local organization, YSS of Marshall County. However, this year we have a special challenge for the community. West Marshall High School’s Student Philanthropy program, L.U.C.C. (Leading Uplifting our Community with Charity), has granted us $1,000 for and we are asking the community to match those dollars. Each dollar donated up to $1,000 will be matched to help us raise more than double what has been raised in the past few years. The art supply drive began in 2020 when YSS was experiencing a 75% increase in therapy cases due to an increase in anxiety, stress and fear from COVID-19. Originally, we anticipated this effort to be a one-time occurrence. However, the response and benefits we have seen transpire out of these art supplies has far exceeded our expectations. “We have countless stories of youth creating artwork while they are on their healing journey and the outcomes are stunning. You can visit YSS’s office in Downtown Marshalltown and find their walls decorated with artwork from their youth. Many of which who were previously struggling to attend therapy and programming, are now thrilled to participate due to the pride they feel from seeing their artwork on display,” shared Amber Danielson, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance. In 2022, from January to June, YSS has seen a 250% increase in clients coming in for medication management. Youth are especially vulnerable as they are often unable to naturally express how they feel verbally. However, therapists at YSS can connect with their feelings more effectively through creative means. Art provides an avenue to express how they feel through color and content. The value of art – written poetry, drawn pictures, etc., often says more than the spoken word, especially those with limited language. Executive Director of YSS, David Hicks, said, “by supporting the Arts and Cultural Alliance’s art supply drive, you are providing a tool to which some of the most vulnerable will be able to safely communicate their worries and fears. Our young people will build hope and understanding through creativity. What’s often difficult to discuss, can be more easily relatable through art”. The mission of YSS is to provide prevention, education, treatment and residential services to children, youth and families; to advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow and be self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society. The Arts & Culture Alliance, a non-profit organization, was created in 2004 to cultivate a community of arts and culture by supporting, promoting and enriching existing opportunities and by seeking new possibilities. Our mission allows us to focus on enhancing the quality of life in Marshalltown by making it a place in which arts and culture thrive and our community flourishes. To make a donation towards art supplies for YSS of Marshall County: Please make checks out to Arts & Culture Alliance and send to PO BOX 386, Marshalltown, IA 50158 Online Donations Accepted at www.artsandculturealliance.org/support (select Art Supply Drive) For more information or questions, please us at (641) 752-ARTS or director@artsandculturealliance.org www.artsandculturealliance.org
The Marshalltown Auditorium Foundation Partnership Fund and the Marshalltown Community School District/High School, in partnership with the Arts & Culture Alliance, are excited to announce the installation of new artwork at the Marshalltown Performing Arts Center. The artwork, titled ‘Scherzo’, of Kansas artist Stephen T. Johnson will arrive next week. ‘Scherzo’ will consist of colorful abstract forms based on musical notations such as the bass clef, the forte f and musical notes, plus three kinetic mouth-shaped forms at the top that celebrate the rhythms, sounds and ideas generated within this outstanding performing arts venue. The title ‘Scherzo’ refers to a short orchestral piece of music, especially in the second or third movement of a symphony or sonata. Scherzos are vigorously composed and are typically light and playful in character with intensely interesting, fresh, and familiar themes. More information about the project can be found here! Stephen T. Johnson’s rich body of work forges connections between words, objects, and ideas. His art spans a broad range of concepts and contexts and can be seen in site-specific public art commissions, gallery and museum exhibitions, and original award-winning children’s books such as Alphabet City, a Caldecott Honor, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Artist, Stephen T. Johnson, said "Riggs Fabrication is doing a superlative job translating my designs into glorious steel. It’s hard to convey the sheer scale with a few photos that truly capture all the nuances and parallaxes that occur while viewing it from 360 degrees. Every step reveals new juxtapositions of form and hopefully quickens musical associations. The final phase is to add the color then we are very much looking forward to coming to Marshalltown next week to install the sculpture. I’m so grateful for the community support and enthusiasm during the course of this exciting, creative journey.” Among Johnson’s public art is a 70-foot mosaic mural at the DeKalb Avenue Subway Station in Brooklyn, New York, a 60-foot mosaic mural at the Universal City Metro Station in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, and 33 glass panels for the Dallas Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas. His latest commission was three large glass mosaic murals for the Lenexa City Center Library in metropolitan Kansas City. MHS Director of Vocal Music and Auditorium Foundation Board member, Amy Ose shared, “I have been anxiously awaiting the realization of this dream since 2016 when the Roundhouse addition was being designed. With drastic changes planned for the North side of the MHS campus, I was eager for us to find a way to create a visual impact at the entrance to the Performing Arts Center that would welcome people into our amazing facility, while also representing the importance of Fine Arts within our school and community. The installation of ‘Scherzo’ will be the realization of that dream.” Upcoming Events with the Artist:
Help us celebrate the arrival of ‘Scherzo’ with a Reveal Celebration on Thursday, June 30th from 5-7pm at the Marshalltown Performing Arts Center. The evening will kick off with a Chamber ribbon cutting, followed by opening performances of MHS Students and ending with the Marshalltown Municipal Band at 6pm. Bring your lawn chairs! More details on the Facebook Event. “We have long awaited the arrival of ‘Scherzo’ and are thrilled about the continued growth of artwork in Marshalltown, especially on the Marshalltown High School Campus. This piece will be an amazing addition to showcase this outstanding performing arts facility and all of the talented artist who perform for our community,” said Amber Danielson, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance.   The VFW Post 839 of Marshalltown, in partnership with the Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance, will be installing a patriotic mural this Spring at the main entrance to their building located off Meadow Lane in Marshalltown. The mural project will be a visual way of welcoming and honoring veterans in the city of Marshalltown and its surrounding communities. Local artist, Missy Sharer-Pieters, was hand selected for this project because of her amazing portfolio of patriotic work around the community. Missy shared, “I am honored and excited to be a part of the VFW mural project. The importance of using patriotic symbols and icons to honor our military personnel, both past and present, will be key to what we create. It is definitely a subject matter that I am familiar with and truly enjoy painting. I hope the community will share my enthusiasm for this mural project and support the VFW in raising funds.” The fundraising goal for the mural is $1,500, with hopes of surpassing the goal to allow for an even larger mural than planned. The VFW Post 839 of Marshalltown will be having its first of many fundraisers for their mural project on January 24th. The veterans of the post will be working with Culver's of Marshalltown on Monday, January 24th from 5 to 8 pm where donations will be accepted. Please dine in (16 Iowa Ave West) or take out and support your local veterans and this exciting mural project. Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, Amber Danielson, said, “we are thrilled to continue to partner with so many amazing local organizations and artists to create a vibrant community and celebrate our local veterans.” The Alliance, a non-profit organization, created in 2004 to cultivate a community of arts and culture by supporting, promoting, and enriching existing opportunities and by seeking new possibilities. The VFW, a non-profit organization, relies on donations from people of all walks of life to accomplish our goals and to meet the needs of local veterans. Robert Sheppard, commander for the VFW Post 839 relayed, “When I see a mural that depicts the great military of The United State of America, I feel excited and honored to be a veteran. It makes me proud and gives me hope for the future of our country.” To contribute to the VFW Post 839 Mural Project: Donations can be dropped off at VFW Post 839, located at 107 E Meadow Lane or Sent via mail to P.O. Box 1204, Marshalltown, IA 50158  
The Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance has officially wrapped up its mural season with the completion of Marshalltown’s Postcard Mural at Thompson True Value and The Starry Night of Marshalltown at Great Western Bank. The Marshalltown Mural program completed a very successful 2021 season installing 16 murals around the community. Amber Danielson, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance shared, “we couldn’t be more thrilled with the success of the mural program’s second year. It has been exciting to see the vibrancy added throughout our community and to expand our mural portfolio with such a wide-variety of styles from talented local, regional and national artists.” This week, Des Moines artist Jimmy Navarro completed Marshalltown’s Postcard Mural on the south wall of Thompson True Value. This project was sponsored by the Marshalltown Development Foundation (MDF). MDF hand selected this location as it is the first building to welcome visitors into our downtown. The welcoming mural incorporates landmarks and icons from around the community within the letters of Marshalltown, including the water tower, MHS Roundhouse, Iowa Veterans Home and many more! Dave Thompson of Thompson True Value shared, “our family has owned our business in downtown Marshalltown for 36 years. Building our new store in the downtown has shown an unwavering commitment and belief in Marshalltown and the downtown. We are very excited to have this beautiful mural painted on our new store as a welcoming entrance to the downtown. The Arts & Culture Alliance took our requests and the artist envisioned them into the mural. The artist, Jimmy, has hit this out of the park and has become a part of the True Value family! We recognize the need for additional art in the downtown and are happy to contribute $5,000 towards sculptures in the downtown.” Community members and visitors alike will enjoy the Postcard Mural upon entering the historic Marshalltown Central Business District – the heart of where MDF originated 21 years ago – a nod to the true MDF mission that was dedicated to creating, promoting, and funding projects that enhance the appearance and attitude of Marshalltown. Artists Jimmy Navarro and Katie Jensen shared, “it’s been a great experience for us creating this mural for the City of Marshalltown. Over the last few weeks, we have been treated like family and we are especially proud of this mural. We hope it brings joy, showing the City’s great pride and its history.” Additionally, local artists Landaca, Katie and Danielle Czerniewski and Melynda McCord completed their first large-scale mural at Great Western Bank. It has been named The Starry Night of Marshalltown which was inspired by Vinvent Van Gogh's The Starry Night. Marshalltown details were incorporated into the piece including the Marshall County Courthouse, Orpheum, Marshalltown M's and more. In addition, a wing selfie wall was added on the south corner, inviting people to take their picture with the piece. 
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