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“A trail of murals”
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About this talk
Our mission is to create a trail of murals connecting the greater Cedar Rapids area that unveils history, encourages community participation and celebrates the spirit with the culture of our neighborhoods. In ordered to bring this to fruition, we intend to use local structural architecture as the framework incorporating a variety of historical themes and public art designs to reveal the “who” and the “what” of this community. Our slogan “murals and more” is used to indicate our intent to seek art from a variety of mediums. Our use of the word “trail” implies there will be a progression from one art piece to the next connecting all installations both in theme and time periods. As our mission also indicates, we believe community involvement is of the highest priority and therefore our community-based project encourages a diverse network of citizens to communicate their civic pride through participation
Community Impact: This entire project began with and continues to stress the importance to our community. Not only have we incorporated community in our mission statement, but we believe the community will be impacted regardless of how individuals or groups become involved. By depicting and preserving our community’s history, we instill a sense of pride in who and what we are all about. Educational opportunities abound for people of all ages from school age to senior citizens. The partnerships that are possible between individuals, businesses, government officials and neighborhoods will encourage connections and ownership. The public art can revitalize our city streetscapes and in time, make Cedar Rapids a cultural destination. Tourism will be increased. Citizens can stroll from one location to the next enjoying the visual experience, discussing and learning from each piece. Using local artists and vendors whenever possible adds to our community’s economy. Increased traffic downtown will also benefit local businesses. We believe the mural trail project will “IGNITE” excitement and make Cedar Rapids a more vibrant, progressive cultural destination. The excitement has already begun. With the support of our community, it can only continue to grow.
Bio
Lynn Ocken has called Cedar Rapids her home for the past thirty plus years. In the early years of living in Cedar Rapids, Lynn ran her own home business focusing on bringing artists and craftspeople together to sell their art. She organized and ran a yearly art show as well as created an organization for artisans to come together. Once her two children were in school full time, Lynn entered the real estate world using her teaching and business skills to develop a successful real estate career. Looking for a new direction, Lynn became a career and life coach which she continues to do today. Lynn is very involved in the community as a charter member of Metro North Rotary. She has served on the vocation and community service committees, recently completing three years on the Rotary board as Community Service Liaison. She is involved in a variety of projects at Metro High School and currently serves on the Linn County Public Arts Commission artist selection panel. As a travel enthusiast, Lynn and her husband make a point of seeking out art museums, galleries and artisan shows wherever they might be. Lynn’s latest project, the formation of the Cedar Rapids Mural Trail Society, involves creating an art trail starting in Downtown Cedar Rapids which depicts Cedar Rapids’ history, spirit and culture and encourages community participation.
How to get involved with this idea
One Response to A trail of murals
I love this idea. I can’t wait to see the first one go up. Am wondering if we can tie in the art walk idea and make these happen together.