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Charitable Giving: Murals & More

posted by TrueNorth Companies on Monday, May 15, 2017

During the month of May, TrueNorth will be raising funds for Cedar Rapids' Murals & More.  Borrowing inspiration from murals on proud display in Seward, Alaska, Bob and Lynn Ocken adopted the idea and put into action in Cedar Rapids.  The initiative serves as a means to enrich the community and effectively tell the story of Cedar Rapids - especially after the devastation of the 2008 flood.

About Murals & More

Murals & More currently has five funded projects on proud display in the Cedar Rapids community.  Here are a few you can see from or within mere steps from the TrueNorth building in Downtown, Cedar Rapids.

"Reanimate" | Eliezer Sotillo

Unveiled June 23, 2016, this mural is located on Third Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. The mural is spray painted on the Fourth Avenue parking ramp.  Living through the 2008 floods in Iowa City, artist Ely Sotillo saw how his neighbors and the rest of the Corridor were impacted by its destruction. The mural is of a carp, a well-known fish of the Cedar River, coming out of the water and rebuilding these cities. If you look closely, the mural references specific Cedar Rapids buildings.

"Diversity in Motion" | Jo Myers Walker

Unveiled July 26, 2016, this mural is located on Third Street in Downtown Cedar Rapids between Third and Fourth Avenues. "Diversity in Motion" focuses on representing the people of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As you look at both sides of the skywalk, you can see Cedar Rapids symbolized by students of all ages, nursing professionals, and employees of local companies. The mural is hand-painted on Lexan plastic, lending a stained-glass window effect from both the street or looking out on a walk through the skywalk. 

"Free Bird" | Tim Adams

Unveiled August 23, 2016, this mural is located on Third Street in Downtown Cedar Rapids between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. "Free Bird" is a piece that reflects an interpretation of notes in the song of the same title, with the birds strategically placed to showcase the song's notes. The song was chosen by local artist Tim Adams to represent strength the community showed in the wake of the 2008 flood. 

  More Murals Here  

How TrueNorth Plans to Help

• We kicked off fundraising efforts last week with a delicious bake sale, hosted by Risk Management account managers and the TrueNorth claims team. 
• TrueNorth employees have a chance to show off their own creativity with a building-wide color contest! 
• We'll round out May fundraising festivities with a sundae bar and BINGO! 
• As always, you can count on seeing the TrueNorth team sporting denim on the last Wednesday in May, as the office will be collectively participating in our "Casual for a Cause" day to support Murals & More. 

How You Can Help

You can get involved with Murals & More, too!  Murals and More is a grassroots, citizen-driven organization. From a creative capacity, volunteers are welcome to assist with ideas for marketing and ideas. There are also a variety of committees you can be a part of. Lastly, Murals & More would also appreciate your financial support. Click on the button below to bengin the donation process.

  Donate Today