Taking Time to See: Whittier Neighborhood Park Mural in Sioux Falls

I've lived in Sioux Falls for over a decade, and one of the many things I like about this town is that it's big enough that there is always something new to see.

I'm an eastsider and drive-by Meldrum Park on 6th street several times a week. It's a showcase of the best of Sioux Falls; often full of family gatherings, kids playing, and sports; it's a true neighborhood park.
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See Some of Sioux Falls' Beautiful Murals [PHOTOS]

I was in Canton, SD, and I happened upon a new mural.

It was really cool and that got me thinking that I know of a few murals in Sioux Falls, but I bet there's more than I realize. So, I put it out on social media for the people of Sioux Falls to tell me where all the murals are!

A few of them I had never seen, or never even been to that part of town, and a few of them, I drive by all the time and never noticed!

I know a few businesses have murals inside their establishments, but I decided to keep it to murals that are totally open for the public to see. No need to be 21!

So, here we go! Let's check out some of Sioux Falls' murals.
Did I miss one? Let me know!

Iowa Palmer Company's Twin Bing Products

Can you even really claim to live in this part of the country if you've never had a Twin Bing?

WHAT IS A TWIN BING?

"It consists of two round, chewy, cherry-flavored nougats coated with a mixture of chopped peanuts and chocolate. The Twin Bing was introduced in the 1960s," -Wikipedia

Not only has the TB been a staple of the Sioux Empire for over half a decade, but the makers of the classic candy have also infused the unique cherry and chocolate flavor into lots of other things.

 

I've lived in Sioux Falls for over a decade, and one of the many things I like about this town is that it's big enough that there is always something new to see.

I'm an eastsider and drive-by Meldrum Park on 6th street several times a week. It's a showcase of the best of Sioux Falls; often full of family gatherings, kids playing, and sports; it's a true neighborhood park.

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A major landmark in the park is a huge mural painted on a cement wall. Every time I drive by it catches my eye. It's called The World Comes to Whittier and it's beautiful. But, I'd never taken the time to stop and get a good look at it or to learn more about it. So, I decided now is the time and I took some pictures to share with you.

Prior to becoming public art, the wall in Meldrum Park in the Whittier neighborhood had been a sight of graffiti, when it wasn't just a plain concrete wall looming over the park. In 2011 a middle school art teacher inspired her students to make a difference.

Whittier Middle School eighth grade teacher Lela Himmerich assigned her students to consider ways of improving the Whittier neighborhood. The class approached the task with much enthusiasm, researching the area and coming up with a set of proposals, one of which was a mural for the wall in Meldrum Park. -National Endowment for the Arts

The Whittier neighborhood is one of the most diverse in the city, and the mural reflects the local community. Lead artist Dave Loewenstein, assisted by Ashley Laird, and Nate Buchholz, collaborated with the neighborhood and students to create and paint the mural. The wall was painted in the spring and early summer of 2013 with the help of the neighborhood.

Our mural welcomes people to Whittier, a working-class neighborhood that embraces its heritage, celebrates its dynamic cultural and ethnic diversity, and looks forward to addressing and overcoming challenges to a prosperous and peaceful future. Our mural recognizes this as the past and present home to Native Americans from many tribes, as well as the place where settlers have come from across the globe. Our mural sings with a chorus of many languages and radiates with the colors of many cultures. And, our mural shows the neighborhood working together to care for its natural beauty, the education of its young people, and the welfare of its most vulnerable residents. Our mural is beautiful, engaging, and is the product of many dedicated hands and minds. -Whittier Neighborhood Design Team

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