The City of Springfield ran with an opportunity this spring. They're installing a mural on the World Championships marathon route.
Springfield planned to install a welcome mural at at 307 Main Street, along Pioneer Parkway East, in a year or two. Instead, Assistant City Manager Niel Laudati told KLCC, “Given the fact the world games are coming, and the marathon is going to pass right past this building, we worked with the building owner who allowed us to do something sooner. I think our first meeting on this was, maybe May 28th?”
They raced to design the wall and asked Erik Nicolaisen with Old City Artists to help. He painted the Simpsons mural in 2014, and noted, “It has been so nice to see the progress that’s been made here, even since our first days doing the Simpsons wall. It was kind of a ghost town. And now to come back in 2022 and have these markets and these restaurants and this bustling life in Springfield.”
Blue herons and camas flowers are featured on the 108-foot wall, in colors that echo the World Championships logo.