 Local artists from Marshall County are invited to apply for the Arts & Culture Alliance’s rotating art program, Art in Public Places. The program launched in 2019 as a pilot program in partnership with the Marshalltown Municipal Airport, and we are excited for its continued growth to include 3 additional businesses, West End Perk, Wayward Social and Sub City. The program was created to partner with local businesses to support, amplify and showcase our talented local artists, while enhancing the interior of our local spaces with original artwork. “We jumped at the opportunity to showcase local talent at Wayward Social, the artwork elevates our space and we look forward to continuing this partnership with the Alliance”, shared Michele Buzbee, owner of Wayward Social. Due to the closings of many businesses in 2020, artwork of Marshalltown Artist, Kim Hanken, will remain on display at Wayward Social. The spring call to artists includes the Marshalltown Municipal Airport, West End Perk in the 13th Street District and Sub City in Downtown Marshalltown. Marshalltown artist, Seema Suthar, who currently has artwork on display at Sub City said, “the Alliance has helped me both as an artist and as a resident of Marshalltown. They have provided opportunities to display my artwork and they have also connected me to other artists within the community.” Together with each business, the Alliance will select an artist for each participating location to have their artwork on display through the summer months. All artwork on display at each location will be for sale and open to the public for viewing during the business’s operating hours. Artist applications are due by Sunday, April 19th to the Alliance – email to director@artsandculturealliance.org. Executive Director of the Alliance, Amber Danielson, stated “this program is a great opportunity for artists to get exposure and sell their work. We are dedicated to supporting, engaging and amplifying our local artists community while providing opportunities to collaborate, network and grow.” For more information about artist applications, please visit www.artsandculturealliance.org/art-in-public-places Press Release Document
0 Comments
 The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to announce that an interactive mural is coming to downtown Marshalltown this week at La Salud Grocery Store and Restaurant. The mural has an engaging element, inviting residents and visitors to take pictures in front of the mural and celebrate the heart of our community. The Alliance’s mural program creates an opportunity for an increased focus on quality of life, community pride, beautification and creative placemaking. The program was recently launched with the Marshalltown Schools Sidewalk Safety Mural project. This mural project is funded and sponsored by the Fauna Nord and Kelli Thurston Realty Team. “We are greatly appreciative of the generous donation of Fauna Nord and Kelli Thurston,” said Alliance Director Amber Danielson. “This project wouldn’t be possible without their support and belief in the arts in Marshalltown.” The mural will be painted on the North wall of La Salud in the alleyway off of North 1st Street, in between West Main Street and West State Street. It will be next to the parking lot of the iconic downtown building, the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is currently being remodeled from tornado damage and is slated to open this Winter. Gabriela Vargas, owner of La Salud, shared “we are excited about the opportunity for a mural on our building. It is an honor to work with the Alliance and to be a part of the Marshalltown Mural program.” The selected artist, Jenna Brownlee of Des Moines, is known for her beautiful floral work as an Iowa Muralist. With a mission to make people happy through art, her work is often inspired by collages of organic shapes found in nature with themes of bright colors, flowers and typography that encourage others to stop and smell the roses. Jenna’s interactive Marshalltown mural design incorporates flowers, monarch butterflies and the word Soñar, which means to dream. The flowers chosen are native to Latin America and the butterflies signify the migration monarchs make from Canada to Mexico each Fall. The mural will celebrate and symbolize the migration and journey many Latinos make to America, specifically to our community. Downtown Marshalltown has been steadily rebuilding since the July 2018 tornado and derecho this past August. The goal of this mural is to assist in the continuation of rebuilding and revitalizing the Downtown District. Our hope is that this mural creates another must-see attraction in our community, while increasing community pride, celebrating Latin American culture and ultimately drawing foot traffic to our downtown. Marshalltown Central Business District Executive Director, Deb Milizer, said “we couldn’t be happier about the addition of a mural in the downtown. We are looking forward to a continued partnership with the Ars & Culture Alliance and the Marshalltown Mural program as we incorporate additional murals in downtown.” The mural is being painted this Thursday and Friday, in hopes to be completed by the weekend. We welcome the community to stop by and watch the artist work, however, for the health and wellbeing of everyone, masks or facial coverings and social distancing are recommended. We believe a vibrant arts and culture environment is critical to enhancing the quality of life and driving economic development while nurturing a positive view of the community among residents and visitors alike. The mission of the Arts & Culture Alliance is to cultivate a community of arts and culture and we believe a community enriched in arts and culture will attract, retain and engage residents. The Marshalltown Mural program provides an avenue for our community to continue to make Marshalltown THE place to live, work, learn and play, as well as an opportunity to enhance quality of life and support economic development. For more information or questions, please contact us at (641) 752-ARTS (2787) or director@artsandculturealliance.org Learn more about the project at www.artsandculturealliance.org/marshalltown-murals Learn more about the artist at jennabrownlee.com/about  Artist, Jenna Brownlee of Des Moines  Join us in downtown Marshalltown as we Fall into the Holidays. You are invited to experience live performing artists two consecutive Friday evenings; Friday, November 6th and 13th from 6-7pm. Enjoy a Fall evening in downtown Marshalltown while listening to live performances and finish your evening by visiting our downtown shops and restaurants.
The performers will be located inside of the display windows at 119 E Main Street, previously Remix Dance Studio. The community is invited to experience the live performers by viewing from the sidewalk, ensuring safety for all. Marshalltown Central Business District Executive Director, Deb Milizer, shared, “in a time where we face many challenges, it’s extraordinary to be able to safely enjoy performing arts in our downtown.” Friday, November 6th Marshalltown High School Music – enjoy an hour of cheery music from Marshalltown High School Music students, including the choir, band and orchestra. Friday, November 13th Nicholas Cooper, MHS Graduate – enjoy an hour of feel good music including jazz tunes and golden age Broadway. “The Arts & Culture Alliance is a proud partner of the Marshalltown Central Business District to bring arts and culture to the heart of our community on a regular basis, says Executive Director, Amber Danielson. “We are dedicated to connecting the community with arts and culture on a regular basis in unique and unexpected ways. This is a way to showcase our talented local performing artists and musicians, while also bringing people into our downtown.” For the health and wellbeing of everyone that attends, masks or facial coverings and social distancing is recommended. The Arts & Culture Alliance, is 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. 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 Facebook & Instagram – @ArtsandCultureAlliance www.artsandculturealliance.org  In an effort to increase the safety for students in Marshalltown, the Arts & Culture Alliance is partnering with the City of Marshalltown and the Marshalltown Community School District to create vibrant sidewalk murals at each of the schools in Marshalltown. In May of 2019, our community tragically lost an 8-year-old boy, Christian Maxon, after being struck by a car while crossing the street after school. We believe the arts provide hope, healing and are a creative way to address and solve community challenges. It is our priority to honor and pay tribute to Christian and his family by increasing safety, awareness, education, beautification and engagement in the arts through this project. “In 2019, the Alliance launched our newest program, Marshalltown Murals. From the beginning, it was our priority to expand the program by partnering with the Marshalltown Schools to incorporate murals within the community,” said Arts & Culture Alliance Executive Director Amber Danielson. “We believe this is a critical and significant opportunity to address the challenge of street safety in the school zones, while engaging students in a creative and educational way. We are honored to lead this project to pay tribute to Christian and his family.” The project’s fall kick-off is possible thanks to a gracious donation by Jason and Jenny Matteson, who are sponsoring the mural at Franklin Elementary School. Jason and Jenny said the Sidewalk Safety Murals project “was extremely important to us – to promote safety awareness, as well as an offering of love and hope for Christian’s family,” Murals will first be placed at three of the 11 schools this fall - Franklin, Rogers and Woodbury elementary schools. The remaining MCSD schools, as well as St. Francis Catholic School and Marshalltown Christian School, will be completed in the spring/summer of 2021. Franklin Elementary, the school Christian attended and where the accident took place, will receive the first mural. Each mural will measure approximately 10’ x 10’. “I’m hoping this campaign will remind all people to be hyper-vigilant and careful any time they are driving or crossing the street because even if you have the right of way and follow proper safety precautions, there is no guarantee that everyone else will,” said Christian’s mom, Brittany Maxon. “We want to bring awareness to everyone - children, adults, drivers, and pedestrians - anything to prevent another family from suffering our heartbreak. Christian would want that. He loved everyone and would want his loss to help bring awareness and keep others safe.” MCSD Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte said the project serves as a powerful way to honor Christian’s life and as a critical safety reminder. "MCSD is very excited to partner with the Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance on the Sidewalk Mural Project in honor and remembrance of former Franklin Elementary student Christian Maxon. It is a step in the right direction of providing more education, support and attention to the critical importance of safe practices for motorists and pedestrians within our community,” Dr. Schutte said. The Alliance’s Mural Selection Committee, which includes a local artist, an Alliance Board Member and a Marshalltown Public Art Committee Member, is working hard to finalize the mural design with the hand-selected artist, Lauren Gifford of Des Moines. The artist has granted us copyright of the mural, so we will be able to spread the message throughout the community. Our intention is to put the mural on signs to be placed at each of the schools’ busy intersections and crosswalks to share the message to drivers traveling through school zones. The signs will be translated into Spanish. The mural design and verbiage “Look Both Ways” was selected for many important reasons:
The painting will begin over the next couple of weeks, with the goal to have the first three murals completed by the end of October. The Alliance will concentrate on fundraising over the winter months for the remaining schools. Each mural is $1,500 and we still need another $12,000 to complete this project at the remaining schools “Christian was the most caring child I have known. I am blessed to be his grandmother. It is a great honor to have his memory kept alive with this project that will remind drivers to be extra cautious in school zones and remind the students to be careful when crossing the streets,” said Christian’s grandmother, Denise Balot. 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 tax-deductible donation toward the Sidewalk Safety Mural Project: Please make checks out to Arts & Culture Alliance – send to PO BOX 386, Marshalltown, IA, 50158 Online Donations Accepted at www.artsandculturealliance.org/marshalltown-murals *click the donate button and select sidewalk mural project For more information or questions, please contact us at (641) 752-ARTS (2787) or director@artsandculturealliance.org Learn more about the project at www.artsandculturealliance.org/marshalltown-murals In The News: Full Press Release PDF KCCI Des Moines Channel 8 We Are Iowa - Local 5 News Times Republican Marshalltown Community School District
 Marshalltown Schools Mural Signs - Spanish  Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance Celebrates the Arts and Humanities in Marshalltown
The Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance joins thousands of arts organizations and communities across the nation to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month throughout October. We are thrilled to make the celebration official with Marshalltown Mayor, Joel Greer, in his proclamation for the City of Marshalltown to celebrate October as National Arts and Humanities Month. The Alliance continues to carry this message to the people of Marshalltown through programs and experiences that honor the efforts of artists, historians, teachers, and cultural groups working to make the arts and humanities a part of everyone’s life. This year’s Arts and Humanities Month has taken on new meaning. As Americans for the Arts asks, “Can you remember a time when we’ve needed the arts more? During the pandemic, the arts have been there to support us. We’ve listened to music, read, and made chalk drawings with our kids. We’ve danced in our living rooms, watched movies and taken Instagram photos, and created posters to carry in protest. The arts are working overtime in every community, household, and family, doing what they do best: connecting us, giving us needed moments of joy, and most of all, creating hope. We also need to be there to support the arts. Right now, many Iowa artists and creative businesses are still struggling to rebound. So, how can you show your support?
At a time when our creative workers and businesses are working to recover, National Arts & Humanities Month is a perfect moment to show your support for the arts. There can be no recovery without creativity. Below is the estimated Impact of the Pandemic on the Creative Workforce:
“The arts are the lifeblood of our communities, raising morale, creating community cohesion, and providing comfort during dark times, while also delivering a huge economic footprint. The sector continues to suffer devastating losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is vital that we support our creative workers and fight for the sector in the months and years to come,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and national coordinator of Arts and Humanities Month. “National Arts and Humanities Month gives us a chance to celebrate the values that the arts impart in our lives, and it is more important than ever that everyone take part to recognize the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities in our communities.” National Arts and Humanities Month is coordinated by Americans for the Arts, the national organization working to empower communities with the resources and support necessary to provide access to all of the arts for all of the people. More information about National Arts and Humanities Month is available at: www.AmericansForTheArts.org/nahm. 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. PDF Press Release Mayor's Proclamation |
