TWIN FALLS — Mural artists are getting their chance to leave their mark on downtown Twin Falls as the Downtown Arts Subcommittee acting on behalf of the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Twin Falls is looking for assistance for a new project.
This project will help bring more public art to the area and will be a two-dimensional mural that must be greater or equal size to 300 square feet. The city has now opened submissions for anyone in Idaho and the greater Northwest.
“We welcome any submissions," said Joshua Palmer, the public information coordinator for the City of Twin Falls. "We welcome the most far-out ideas to maybe the more traditional. But what we do want to keep it as is, if you were to look at it, it would just scream to the viewer or the person who is looking at it, this is Twin Falls."
The mural will be located at the local business Good Heart Candle Company and will serve as a way to spark interest in areas that surround Main Avenue.
“This is one of those areas as we move outside and further away from Main Avenue that we’ll continue to address. We’re trying to create places that are friendly to the public, that are attractive to the public," said Palmer.
Now that word is spreading about the project, many local businesses are excited to see something brought to the area and help add to the city's identity.
“There’s just cool stuff to look at, and there’s a lot of cool things downtown, and when you add that to buildings," said Kindsey Taylor, the owner of Brass Monkey. "It just gives that element of "ooh" and "ah" for the public to see, and it’s just more visually appealing.”
Local businesses also hope that this mural can help capture a new side of Twin Falls.
“It is very traditional art that I do think gets showcased," said Taylor. "A lot of landscapes of farms, mountains, cows, which are all great. But I think to put a spin on it with a little bit of a younger vibe and a more modern vibe, I think would be very cool to see.”
As exciting as a new art piece can be for the area, some residents have expressed their concerns about the potential damage that could be done to the building. But city officials say they are doing what they can to ensure no damages will occur.
“There’s things that we could do to make it more permanent, but that would alter the building or damage it, and we don’t want to do that," said Palmer. "The painted mural or a laminate mural is not going to cause damage. It can also be if down the road we choose to do so, it can be removed.”
The deadline for mural submissions is August 20 at 5 p.m. The artist will be selected on September 2 and notified on the 13. While only one mural will be selected, the city is encouraging those other artists who do not get chosen to listen for other future opportunities.
“We have several others coming down the road, and we want to make sure that those people who submit their projects, that they can continue to stay with us," said Palmer. "If your art project didn’t get selected, certainly follow us, and when we have these other locations, we want to see those projects resubmitted. ”
The goal is to have the mural done by November 8 where a dedication ceremony will take place. Anyone interested can find out more on the city's website.
