April 18, 2024

Parks and Recreation board approve mural repainting at Rainbow, McKinley parks

The bathroom facility at Rainbow Park in Creston, Iowa, was painted with a colorful mural depicting silhouettes of children and a watchful service man in 2011 by members of Y.A.C.C., Youth Answering the Call of the Community. (SARAH SCULL)

Creston’s Board of Parks and Recreation met 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with Creston Community High School art teacher Bailey Fry-Schnormeier to approve repainting the peeling murals at McKinley and Rainbow Parks. The board also moved forward on party rentals for the McKinley Park Festival and music for Party in the Park.

Murals

“As we create these murals around town, we feel it’s really important that we continue to maintain the murals,” Fry-Schnormeier said. “And Rainbow Park was the first mural that I helped with when I first moved back to Creston.”

Fry-Schnormeier pointed out that the murals at Rainbow Park have been peeling and in the handball courty at McKinley.

Texas-based artists Ack! and Wiley, who previously painted exterior of the Elm’s Club, contacted Fry-Schnormeier about when the next opportunity to paint Creston would be. According to Fry-Schnormeier, the two artists were interested in painting the handball court the last time they were in Creston.

Fry-Schnormeier said that they were looking for approval to paint the handball court in the Fall. Fry-Schnormeier wanted her art students and Megan Carroll’s juvenile students to paint alongside them for community service hours.

For the Spring, Brooklyn-based artists Menace and Resa were proposed to repaint Rainbow Park. Fry-Schnormeier said the duo would also work with her students but would come with a mock-up of the proposed mural before paint hits the wall. Fry-Schnormeier assured that the designs would be family-friendly and inoffensive.

Board chairman John Kawa expressed his support for Fry-Schnormeier and the project.

“We appreciate what you do,” he said. “You brightened up the park in my opinion.”

Kawa later said, “Parks are supposed to be colorful.”

Fry-Schnormeier stressed the importance of the project since it would allow her art students to be out in the world working on a piece that would last.

“I think to get a new set of youth and their hands in there working on it is also really important, too,” Fry-Schnormeier said.

Fry-Schnormeier added that DECAT will meet Friday to determine funding for the project, which she expects that the project will be fully-funded.

In other Parks and Recreation board news:

• The board will recommend city council approve the contract for JP Party Rentals for the McKinley Park Festival Jul. 31.

• The board approved the Tom Petty cover band, Good To Be King, to perform at Party in the Park for $5,000. They will be introduced by their opening act, Ridin’ Shotgun, spearheaded by Creston local Todd Kinkade for $2,000. Kinkade may provide the sound system as well to reduce cost.