#HomeIsWhereTheArtIs

Sommer Walton stared at her mural in 90-degree heat with sunburn on her shoulders, wondering how the heck she’s going to get it done in time for Newton Fest. Her canvas is as tall as a building. In fact, it is a building; the east side of the Kayla’s Dance Company to be exact.

By Thursday morning, the pale and textured surface was dotted with vibrant red hearts and the slogan “love lives here” written in black text. Walton was painting the finishing touches and desperately trying to stay cool whenever possible. The heat was so unbearable it was melting the paint.

“I work well under pressure,” Walton said with a laugh.

Walton never reached her boiling point or called it quits, even when the sun was at its brightest and its most intense. When the shade began to creep over her makeshift sidewalk studio, Walton felt at ease and could complete the mural in relative comfort. She felt even better when she could have a celebratory wine.

Funded by an anonymous donor to Newton Main Street, the mural was conceptualized with a positive message in mind and with an emphasis on interactivity. By having the artwork completed before Newton Alumni Weekend, Walton said there ought to be plenty of locals to see the finished product.

“It’s for people to enjoy for sure, but I really hope that people do take their pictures in front of it,” Walton said. “I think with the rough year everybody had last year, I just hope the ‘love lives here’ is kind of a positive thing for people. I think it’s how this all started. We needed a little positivity in this town.”

Erin Yeager, executive director of Newton Main Street, said the organization was wanting more murals downtown. To make the mural more interactive, Walton included images of heart-shaped balloons tied down by strings and a heart with wings, which Yeager hopes will encourage guests to take pictures with.

“We wanted to show love, because everybody needs to be loved in the community,” Yeager said. “I just think art in itself brings so much to a community. Newton is lucky. We have a ton of art throughout our community. We’ve got some other murals coming up, too.”

View the mural in its entirety along the 200 block of East Second Street North.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com