A new mural will soon grace the Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) trailhead in downtown Perry thanks to an Iowa Arts Council Creative Places project grant landed by the Perry Economic Development Inc. (PEDI).
The “destination-worthy mural” will be painted by noted muralist Shawn Palek and unveiled in a dedication ceremony Saturday, June 3 at 11 a.m. at 923 Warford St., the site along the RRVT of the city maintenance building that will serve as Palek’s “canvas.”
The dedication event will be free and open to the public.
The $2,500 Iowa Arts Council grant was matched by PEDI funds, and Palek was commissioned to return to Perry for this major installation. Palek’s previous murals can be seen at the Josh Davis Memorial Plaza in downtown Perry and in other locations across Iowa.
Palek is working with the city of Perry, PEDI and the Perry Chamber of Commerce in choosing representative images as part of the “Welcome to Perry Iowa” message that will dominate the artwork.
The trailside mural will dominate the maintenance building’s corrugated steel exterior and transform it into “a signature invitation to visitors,” according to John Busbee of the Culturee Buzz.