November 12, 2024

Four downtown murals to be restored

By Jamee A
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Murals created more than a decade ago are now in need of repair following deterioration and fading. Two students from the University of Iowa are being tasked with the job after conducting an assessment of the paintings last summer. (Jamee A)

The murals in downtown Newton help give the community a unique look and are an eye-catching feature for visitors and tourists. With the works of art created in the early 2000s, age is beginning to set in through deterioration and fading.

To address the issue, the Newton Hometown Pride committee invited students from the University of Iowa to analyze the murals and create a report on work that needs to be done. The students, Halle Siepman and Lee White, met with four local city leaders to discuss and tour the murals in June.

In July, the pair spent two days conducting a thorough assessment of each mural including dimensions, primers, concerns, art mediums and evidence of structural damage. A mural sketch was made for documentation and a list of products and materials were determined.

“We got the report back and they found there are four murals that they say need pretty quick attention,” Hometown Pride committee member Bruce Showalter said.

The four murals include the 36 by 82 foot mural on the west side of the E-Clips building featuring a welcome to Newton message, the 16 by 35 foot American flag mural on the VFW building, the 30 by 135 foot Newton farm scene mural at Sersland Park and the 12 by 50 foot mural on the west side of The Farmer’s Wife building featuring Newton stores.

“The other six murals will be reevaluated in the future but those four are in pretty critical need, especially at Sersland Park where we are trying to clean it up,” Showalter said. “(We plan to have) the gazebo as one of the Red Pride Service Day projects to paint it so we are working to spruce that park up.”

The total cost to complete the work, including cleaning, touch ups and repairs is approximately $10,000 Showalter said. The University of Iowa has gifted Newton $4,000 to use toward the project but an additional $6,000 is needed to complete the work.

“The plan is to hire the two students who came and did the study because we need some expertise in the subject. The work will be done sometime between April and June,” Showalter said. “We will also ask for volunteers from the community to kind of make it a community work project.”

For information on how to donate to the project, contact Showalter at 641-521-0605.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com