Creston Mural Project Surpasses 50 Works — New Artists Added to Uptown
Creston's Living Art Gallery Keeps Growing
Creston's celebrated public art program — Creston: Arts — has surpassed 50 murals citywide, with new works added to the Uptown corridor in 2024 by both local students and artists invited from across the country and internationally.
The two-block stretch of Uptown Creston now features 30 murals in a single walkable area — one of the highest concentrations of public murals of any small city in Iowa.
A Movement 40 Years in the Making
The first murals appeared in Creston in 1983. The program gained real momentum in 2011 when a local high school art teacher began painting one mural per year with her students — a simple idea that sparked a citywide movement.
Over the following decade, the program expanded to invite muralists from across the United States and internationally, bringing new perspectives and styles to Creston's walls while always centering the city's own stories.
What the Murals Depict
The collection spans an extraordinary range:
- Creston's railroad heritage and founding story
- Iowa's agricultural landscape and seasons
- Portraits of community members and local figures
- Abstract works celebrating color and form
- Historical scenes from Union County's past
A Self-Guided Walking Tour
The murals are free to visit year-round. The highest concentration is in Uptown Creston — park on or near Montgomery Street and walk. Most visitors spend 30 minutes to two hours exploring the collection.
To learn more about the Creston: Arts program or to support new mural projects, contact the Greater Creston Chamber of Commerce at (641) 782-7021.