Town's stories told through artists' skilled hands
By By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/27/2010 9:32 AM
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ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa —History and art tell the stories of Rock Rapids from one end of town to the other.
Twenty-two murals spill across buildings on Main Street and are tucked into alleys, windows and doors.
Norma Jansma, treasurer of the Rock Rapids Mural Society, leads organized tours and offers impromptu looks at the art work to curious visitors.
The idea for the murals came from Rock Rapids resident Sandy Wynia who took a trip to Toppinish, Wash., which is similar in size to Rock Rapids, to visit relatives with her husband, Curtis. She found murals painted on the sides and fronts of buildings depicting the area's history.
She learned that not only did the murals provide an important history lesson, they also put Toppinish on the map.
"People come from all over the country to see the murals," Jansma said.
In a story explaining the murals in the Rock Rapids Community Guide, Wynia explained how she got the idea to do something similar in Rock Rapids:
"First take a look at the buildings that are located downtown. Some of them, although they have two or three stories, only use the main floor and the windows on the rest of the building are boarded up. It makes our once thriving town look neglected and defaced.
"Now imagine the same windows with scenes of businesses or shops. What would you rather see? We have walls that are waiting to tell a story —if we are willing to do the work."
The Rock Rapids Mural Society was formed in 2002 to beautify the town and restore its historic past in artistic form.
The group is governed by an eight-member board headed by Wynia. Murals are financed by memberships, donations, sponsorships, grants and fundraisers. The Mural Society's most recent fundraiser is exterior quilts. There have been painted Adirondack chair auctions and a tour of homes.
The first mural was completed in 2002. The 22nd mural will be finished this spring. A mural of a threshing scene will be painted on the wall of the Lyon County Farm Bureau in late May and June, and plans for another mural are in the works.
Artists from Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota have painted murals. Curt Nelson, an Inwood artist who goes by the name Signman, has done a number of them. Other artists are Carl Reeder, Tammy Hoppe, Steve Troy, JoEllen Sorgdrager, Heather Ring, Kayleen Wiederhoeft, Carol Homstad, Roger Van Roekel and Ron Rodasti.
"We're always looking for new artists," Wynia said.
More than $100,000 has been invested with murals ranging in cost from $800 to $12,720. Many were sponsored by families or businesses.