Lake Highlands - Lakewood | March 2023

ART & ENTERTAINMENT

Murals on the Move project to bring traveling art to community

BY CECILIA LENZEN

a 22-by-7-foot roll-o container to celebrate and honor the Dallas community. After it is painted, the container constantly moves through- out the city, being deployed to community engagement and cleanup events. When it is not being used for a specic event, the container may be publicly displayed as a standalone art piece. “It’s nice to have [the containers] painted like this; I think it adds an element of beauty to the city,” Mondy said. “It also shows great collabora- tion between two departments who have two dierent missions but came together to make something work.” Dallas artists had to submit an application to be selected to decorate the container. With their applica- tions, artists submitted proposals that follow this year’s theme of community engagement. Rhonda Ivery, community arts

The city of Dallas has selected a local artist to participate in a neigh- borhood beautication project called Murals on the Move. The project is a collaborative eort between the city’s Oce of Arts and Culture and the Department of Code Compliance that uses a roll-o dumpster container to travel Dallas neighborhoods and provide art to the community. Kevin Mondy, community engagement and communications manager with the code compliance department, said the initiative began during the COVID-19 pan- demic to oer artists professional opportunities while also beautifying neighborhoods. The project’s success and reception among artists and com- munity members alike has secured its continuation, Mondy said. The project involves decorating

The Murals on the Move project involves painting a roll-o container for public display.

COURTESY CITY OF DALLAS OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE

manager with the arts and culture oce, said a city panel selected the artist based on their availability, capability and eligibility to work with the city, plus their proposed plan. The selected artist will be awarded $5,000 to complete the art piece, plus $1,000 for supplies and materials. The artist will be required to prepare a template of the sides of the container that residents can replicate. The arts and culture oce will use the template to host a community event at the Oak Cli Cultural Center

April 15 that allows residents to paint their own version of the art piece on canvas. Residents’ paintings will be displayed at the Oak Cli Branch Library in honor of Dallas Arts Month until April 30. The project is expected to be completed by June 1 at the latest, according to the arts and culture website. Once completed, the roll- o container will stay in rotation throughout the city as long the life and quality of the container is maintained, Mondy said.

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