The “mural” of the story: Silo art enhances community
While traveling this year, we have been fortunate to see several outstanding examples of grain elevator/silo art being employed in cities and towns across the heartland. Given the naturally gray/beige color of these enormous structures, a splash of bright, bold colors or an inspiring image can enhance not just the towering structure itself, but also help brighten the entire surrounding neighborhood.
While approaching either downtown Salina, Kansas or Mankato, Minnesota, one cannot help but be impressed by the sky-high artistry depicted on the local grain elevator silos. The towering images of unity, community, diversity, and friendship in these two mid-sized prairie cities are breathtaking. Meanwhile, when entering Toledo along Interstate 75, the Glass City River Wall fronting the Maumee River immediately captures your attention.
Few community placemaking efforts can create such an immediate, meaningful, and positive response from locals and visitors alike. Personally, this retired planner prefers those silo murals that have a local historical and/or human connection versus just painting them to add color or a standardized patriotic theme. Such a direct connection is important to build both initial and continuous support from the community.
The murals also help promote civic pride and create a catalyst towards the rebirth of aging sectors of the city/town. Just imagine an outdoor performance venue with these 100+ foot tall icons overlooking the busy festivities below. Similar projects have been done successfully at former steel mills in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (SteelStacks) and Birmingham, Alabama (Sloss Furnaces) and at a former grain elevator in Buffalo, New York (RiverWorks).
Or perhaps a food truck rodeo could be established at the base of the silos serving up delicious meals throughout the week. Or they could become the centerpiece of a civic plaza with fountains, courtyards, light shows, and landscaping adoring the site. Honestly, the sky’s truly the limit for ideas employing these immensely impressive structures.
Kudos to each city/town here in the United States and elsewhere who have found the wherewithal to take visual art to exciting new heights. Below are images of the six silo murals we observed. Peace!
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Burlington, Colorado
Artist’s name and date of completion is unknown.
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Edwardsburg, Michigan
“All Aboard” mural (2023) by Illinois muralist
Brett Whitacre ——-
Mankato, Minnesota
Monuments Project Mural (2020) in Mankato, Minnesota by Australian artist
Guido van Helton (west elevation) South elevation East elevation
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Salina, Kansas (two silo murals)
“Mural at the Mill” (2021) in Salina, Kansas by artist Guido van Helton “Mural at the Mill” with a thunderstorm in the background “Dionysus” (2023) in Salina, Kansas by Spanish artists
PichiAvo ——-
Toledo, Ohio
“Glass City River Wall” (2022) in Toledo, Ohio by muralist
Gabe Gault of Los Angeles
#AllAboard #art #BrettWhitacre #cities #community #Dionysus #Edwardsburg #fun #GabeGault #GlassCityRiverWall #grainElevators #GuidoVanHelton #heritage #history #Mankato #MonumentsMuralProject #MuralTheMill #murals #music #PichiAvo #placemaking #planning #RiverWorks #Salina #siloArt #sios #SlossFurnaces #SteelStacks #towns #travel #unity
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