“ACB GUARDIANS” MURAL

Note from the artist:

"The 'ACB Guardians' mural was completed in the summer of 2024 on the east facing exterior wall of the Art Center of Burlington. ‘ACB Guardians’ is one section of a collaborative mural project to bring public art downtown Burlington, Iowa. The piece features two elephants serving as guardians of creativity, art, self-expression, and community—core values shared by both the Art Center of Burlington and One Day Art.

A silhouetted figure in the mural captures the outline of a former student who posed for the piece. The light posts in the mural draw inspiration from the west entrance of Crapo Park, an iconic park and arboretum in Burlington. A playful green alien, a beloved character from One Day Art, the former 3AM Studio, appears in the mural. This character originated in 2014 during a third-grade art project at Black Hawk Elementary, a local elementary where I taught art. The students and I created our own alien designs and this character was born in Burlington.

A winding red road represents Burlington's famous Snake Alley, while open green fields and rolling hills capture Iowa's beautiful rural landscape. The golden sun illuminates the Midwest plains each September and October. Rainbow colors flow from a paintbrush, symbolizing acceptance, love, and support for the LGBTQ+ community."

-Craig