Murals, Murals Everywhere: A Community Mural Toolkit
Ida and Harriet, Sabrina Howard, Jackson, Mississippi. Commissioned by Cooperation Jackson 2019 Mural Fest.
In Sabrina’s words, “Ida B. Wells and Harriet Tubman are mile markers on this existing journey of equality and justice. This piece is certain to bring HOPE located on the corner of Capital and Monument Streets in Jackson, Mississippi.
I’m happy to report that I am contacted monthly, and increasingly weekly, by someone in Iowa who wants to begin a community mural project. The smallest community to date was a call from McIntire, Iowa (pop 122).
The fact that more and more communities are finding value in community art projects fills me with joy. Folks taking time out of their increasingly busy schedules and lives to find and create resources for these projects signifies more than just more murals. How we spend our time and our money reflects what we value, individually and collectively. More and more, communities are declaring art and artists to be necessary and valuable community assets, and indispensable for maintaining a high quality of life where we live.
Mural by Jason Jones, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Learn more about Jason and his work here.
WHY MURALS?
Forgive me, but I sometimes think of a mural project as the gateway drug for community and public art projects. First of all, they are familiar. Folks understand what a mural is. For whatever reason, it’s an easily digestible art form. Second, when created deliberately and though a lens of equitable representation, murals provide a lot of community bang for their buck, such as humanizing collective trauma, reflecting a shared identity, offering alternatives to nuisance abatement strategies, and providing direct financial opportunities to local artists. Third, when well-planned, murals can accurately and ethically reflect the experiences of the people who live nearby. Finally, murals can be an effective starting point to begin conversations with communities about creating more inclusive public art and more unconventional community art projects and programs.
*** If you have murals in your community and you love them, let folks know. Message the business owner or building owner. Email your city. LET FOLKS KNOW. Community leaders hear complaints more often than shout outs.
Iowa City Robot, Ryan McGuire, Iowa City, Iowa. Learn more about Ryan and his work here.
A Community Mural Toolkit
A while back, I created a Community Mural Toolkit to assist in the process of organizing these projects, with a heavy emphasis on garnering effective community engagement throughout the process.
This free guide offers an introduction to the nuts and bolts of community mural-making and an invitation to consider and explore your community’s goal for creating community art. In this toolkit, you will find:
• community benefits of murals
• material, site and space needs
• community engagement strategies
• a sample budget
• potential funding strategies
• evaluation methods
• project examples
This PDF aims to show that community art is so much more than the final product itself: the art-making process can aid in building bridges between diverse groups and add to building stronger communities wherever you live.
Community Mural on the Princess Theater in Mount Ayr, Iowa. This was designed by ISU College of Design students and painted by the community.
I’m happy to announce that since it’s release, the Community Mural Toolkit has been downloaded over 1000 times in 41 states and 17 countries.
You can download the Community Mural Toolkit here or you can find it at the ISU Extension Store, along with hundreds of other free resources for your family and your community.
To supplement this toolkit, consider downloading POW!: A Plan of Work Template for Creative Community Projects. POW! will help you organize your goals, tasks, budgets, and track of your project success.
You can also download Yarn Bomb! A Toolkit for Community Fiber Projects and Pop-Up! A Toolkit for Temporary Experiences.
Goals and Dreams, Clarksdale, Mississippi.