VIEWS OF A FARM BOY

FLOODWALL ART

FEBRUARY--2022

RETURN TO HOMEPAGE>>>>

The picture above may make you wonder where I am taking you this month. Well, actually it isn't very far from home. Our son Trent and I took a walking tour of the art on the Raccoon River Floodwall, south of Des Moines Central Campus. You have probably seen this art wall from your car. But this area is not very pedestrian friendly so chances are you haven't had a closeup look. You know the drill--where I go you go--so let's take a hike.

The adventure begins--up the steep bank and down the other side.

There is much more, but here we are, back where we started, so let's pack up and go home.

These immages probably have more messages than I can process.

But, then I remember-- these are high school kids--and I was young once!

This segment of the wall is probably 200 feet in length. It looks tattered and weather beaten, but the message (below) is still as true as the day it was painted.


"THOSE WHO SAY IT CAN'T BE DONE ARE USUALLY INTERRUPTED BY OTHERS DOING IT."

Under the MLK-Fleur Dr. Bridge

Rock rip-rap along the river and the graffiti art is the entire distance along the floodwall.

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DES MOINES

Now we wii turn around and look at the north side of the wall.

My View for the Month: This story is not new news! The first panels were actually painted by Des Moines Central Campus students in early spring, 2016. This newly created graffiti art had a short life span. The leaders of the art program thought they had permission from the City of Des Moines and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to go ahead with the project. Wait--there seemed to be a communications gap! A graffiti reporting complaint prompted the city to paint over the project, destroying many hours of artists creative expressions. Of course, there was anxiety and anger--but no protests or violence. The young people just came together, obtained city approval and painted (or repainted) every inch of the floodwall with the things you see here. Now this could be--and should be--an example for today. So, if you think I may not agree with you politically or philosophically, please do not ask me to "unfriend" you--just ask me to LOVE you! But-the odds are already stacked in my favor--chances are I already do!

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. When our enemies heard about this and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (NIV) (Nehemiah 6: 15,16)                           

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  (NIV) (Galatians 5: 14)                           

FLOODWALL ART

FLOODWALL ART