Le Mars, Iowa
Beautification of Down Town
Down town beautification programs are cornerstones of small towns and big cities. In our home town we enjoy Alley Art, Ice Cream sculptures, seasonal planters, façade improvements and so much more.
Ice Cream Capital of the World Sign on Central
“We’re very excited about this. It gives us an opportunity to kind of get the word out about big community-wide events and also it’s just another kind of landmarking thing that makes downtown Le Mars unique. It’s a very cool thing and it’s definitely a blessing to our community,” said David Westergard, Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
Alley Art
The Le Mars Alley Art project began with a 2012 conversation in the Main Street Design Team they saw pictures from other cities and
said, “Why not do that here?” September, 2013, during the annual chalk art festival six artists gave up their chalk on concrete for latex
exterior house paint and outdoor sign boards (Medium Density Overlay or MDO boards) and created the first murals. Currently,
murals are installed on 42 buildings in 9 downtown alleys. 38 local professional artists have contributed artwork. A total of 115 people
have put paint on alley walls, dumpsters and light poles. Total cost to date is $48,000, all private donations. Artist’s fees range from
$100 to $5,000 depending on the size, scope and complexity of the There is no cost to the property owners. Artists range in age from 11 years to much older.