Downtown As A Canvas

Fairfield christened its newest…and largest piece of original art yesterday afternoon in downtown. The FNB-underwritten mural, planned and created by David Harl and his mother Cheryl, is nothing short of magnificent. It is in the perfect location and reflects well on the community, its people and our way of life.

It was on my mind last weekend when my wife and I drove to Pontiac, Illinois to spend time with our grand-daughter. Pontiac has invested a great deal in its location along the historic Route 66, the highway that once linked Chicago to LA.  It has also invested in some rather remarkable murals that pay homage to the highway and its history.

I guess my point is, there are other buildings and other potential ideas to pursue here to dress up the downtown. Fairfield is rich in history and our county historical society is rich in images that accurately tell the city’s story since being founded in 1819. The Harl art shows the way.

I would encourage downtown organizations to consider other locations and other ideas for murals in Fairfield. Ideas that make natives and visitors stop, reflect on the story being told, and maybe even have their pictures taken to post on social media. That’s what we did in Pontiac. Their murals got us to stop, visit a museum, buy gas, have lunch and look for other camera opportunities. I spent about $100 in 90 minutes….and I throw around nickels like they are manhole covers.

That can happen here. In the meantime, we need to relish the community effort which brought us our new mural.