East Town Mural Dedication and Celebration set for Sunday

(From the City of Joplin)

The East Town neighborhood and Joplin community is invited to celebrate the completion of the East Town Mural Project during the “East Town Mural Dedication & Celebration” on Sunday, October 2, 2pm at Broadway and Mineral in the Penny Pinchers parking lot (715 Broadway St, Joplin, MO 64801). Rain date: Sunday, October 9, 2pm.

This celebration will include musical performances by the Southern Jazz Orchestra from Missouri Southern State University and the Community Choir, as well as comments by East Town Mural representatives, local dignitaries, and the lead artist. Light refreshments will be provided and guests are encouraged to bring their own seating.

“I am grateful to the East Town residents that have shared so much with me. As an artist, I tend to work alone, examining and distilling ideas that live in my head. The community mural process requires me to vacate the studio and step outside my own head for a while. I have made kind and generous new friends in East Town, and they remind me that painting thrives when it is a conversation, rather than a monologue.” – Kyle McKenzie, Lead Muralist.

“The creation of public art in neighborhoods can help support revitalization and positive change in a community. Community-based murals touch hearts because of the way they are created. As such, the East Town Mural Project differs from other murals that have been created by one artist. This mural was created with a high level of input and participation by neighborhood members who were willing to tell the stories about their families and the neighborhood. This mural is a work of public art which is accessible for all community members to enjoy on a daily basis, as they go about their daily lives. These community murals have special meaning to both adults and children who can say both now and in the future, ‘I made my mark there. I helped create that.’” – Sharon Beshore, East Town Mural Project Manager.

East Town Mural Project Summary:

This summer, East Town community members of all ages collaborated to create a meaningful, high quality neighborhood mural under the guidance and technical assistance of the East Town Mural Team. The mural team consisted of Kyle McKenzie, lead muralist; Devon Estes, assistant muralist; Jenny Journeycake, mural apprentice; Josie Mai, education coordinator; and Aaron Skapik, education intern.

The East Town neighborhood was Joplin's first settlement, dating back to 1838. In 1873, East Town merged with Murphysburg, its sister city to the west, to become what we now know as Joplin. Many families have lived in the neighborhood for generations and even residents who no longer live in the area care deeply about its future. One of the recent priorities of neighborhood leaders has been the creation a community-based mural to preserve the story of East Town.

Between July and October, a mural has been developed that communicates the history and culture of the East Town community. The mural is located at Broadway and Mineral on the very large and visible wall west of Penny Pinchers parking lot. This intergenerational and cross-cultural community mural project provides an opportunity for participants to learn about making murals, offer ideas for mural content, and experience the design and execution of a highly visible public artwork. There is a tremendous amount of positive community building that develops from the creation of such a mural.

The East Town community embraced this mural project. Over 150 East Town residents attended one of three community meetings held in July. They willingly shared their stories and provided input about key themes to be included in the mural. More than 300 students participated in mural workshops through the Boys & Girls Club, the Joplin Family Y, as well as Crosslines Ministries. In addition, over 800 East Town residents and the Joplin community-at-large gathered for the mural kick-off event (the First Annual Broadway Bash & Mural Design Projection) and 250+ children and adults participated by making their mark during Community Painting Days.

The mural has been created on the wall of the historic Earl Smith Grocery Store building. The store holds many memories of everyday life for East Town residents. Owners of the building, Jim and Jeanetta Diles and daughter, Shannan Diles Wren, graciously allowed the wall to become the home for this powerful community mural.

The East Town Mural Project is supported through a partial grant of $9,000 from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support of over $9,000 was needed, as the grant project required a dollar-for-dollar match with private funding. Area businesses and organizations, as well as individuals, generously provided the match needed to support the mural project. These include: Freeman Health System, Leggett & Platt, Inc., TAMKO Building Products, Anderson Engineering, Joplin Supply Company, Fagan Electric Company, Inc., Joplin Printing Company, Joplin Rental Center, Lance and Sharon Beshore, Harry and Erin Cornell, Paul Whitehill and The Claude Huff Family Trust. Organizations providing support include Cultural Affairs Committee of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce (JACC) Foundation, the City of Joplin, Crosslines Ministries, and S.O.S. Ministries.

The East Town Mural Project is the sixth Art in Public Places project initiated under the auspices of the JACC Foundation through its Cultural Affairs Committee. Stakeholder organizations involved in this project include: the Emancipation Celebration Committee, Crosslines Ministries, Connect2Culture, Boys & Girls Club, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Joplin Family Y, Freeman Health System, and the City of Joplin, which has designated Community Development Block Grant funds over the next three to five years for infrastructure improvements to East Town.