GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — A local artist and a group of volunteers have completed a new Grand Rapids City Park mural.
The Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation team says they are listening to the community about what they would like to see at their local parks. The mural at Mary Waters Park is one of their latest improvements.
Parks and Recreation Director David Marquardt says the new mural on Lafayette Avenue was made possible because of the community.
“Based on public feedback that we've heard and feedback from some of our park advisory board members to incorporate more public art into our park spaces,” said Marquardt. "Residents want an extension of their culture of their history within their public park spaces. So that's why we're really trying to be very intentional about building in murals like this and other public art pieces that really begin to capture the history help tell the story of who we are, where we've come from.”
Local artist Edgar Hernandez and ‘Lions and Rabbits,' an art group, worked together on a piece highlighting Spanish culture.
“We've got here is a little bit of representation of Earth and Sun and how that's represented within the Spanish culture. And we felt that that was fairly fitting with the outdoor recreational aspects that we provide here within this park and in all parks across our city,” said Marquardt.
This isn’t the first park to get a makeover.
“We've tried it at other parks like Heartside Park and the MacKay-Jaycees Park. And they've been very popular with the community,” said Marquardt.
The work doesn’t stop here. Marquardt says they are open to any suggestions from the community or local artists who are inspired by a park to reach out to them here.
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