In this week’s Hastings City Update, the City discussed the new educational mural that is up in downtown Hastings.
In the update, they discussed that Barb Hollenbeck, the owner of the building at 209 Sibley Street received matching funds of $6,705
from the City’s Community Investment Fund to commission an artist, Taylor Berman, to paint an educational mural depicting the cycle of life.
The nature-themed mural took 18 months to create and includes a hawk, flora, and critters, as well as an anti-graffiti topcoat.
Hollenbeck said she hopes her mural spurs additional investment by other building owners, saying, “adding murals around the city would add great dimension into community spaces.”
Visitors are also encouraged to take selfies at the mural and post them to social media using the #HastingsMNPublicArt. According to the City of Hastings website, the Community Investment Fund is used to encourage and support community partnerships and community-driven projects. This will be the third year of the Community Investment Fund, with $100,000 of funding allocated again in 2024.
Examples of community-supported public amenity projects include streetscape beautification, enhancements to parks or athletic facilities, trails and non-motorized infrastructure, public art, improved access to public amenities, tourism amenities, historic preservation or commemoration, and studies to investigate otherwise eligible projects.