Community contributes at East Town Mural - KOAM TV 7

The East Town Mural sits at Joplin's intersection of Broadway and Mineral streets and is a piece of pride for all those who contributed.

Artist Devon Estes is a professor at Missouri Southern and wanted the mural to serve as a metaphor for the people in East Town. Large painted hummingbirds scale the wall of an old white building, formerly a grocery store.

"Well, really what we wanted to do was bring people together. and to have people remember all the great things about East Town, to remind them and then to encourage them to continue doing those things," Estes said.

People in the area were asked to describe what it was like growing up in East Town, and Estes found hummingbirds as a fitting metaphor for the hard-working people in the area: they flap their wings and their hearts beat fast but they appear to just float in the air. All were invited to come out and help paint.

"We really needed all of that I think to make a mural that's going to appeal to everyone and give credit to everyone who has made East Town a great place," Estes said.

Scaffolding and base paint is up next. The mural will be formally dedicated on October 2.