Spring 2024 At Home in Edmond

Mural Art in Edmond

Story and photos by Erika Williams

Spring is a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy some of Edmond’s finest outdoor art installations and even create a little art yourself.

Downtown Edmond features several works of art, but one mural stands out among them.

The “Welcome to Edmond” mural, located at the northwest corner of First St. and Broadway, was created and installed in 2021 by local artist Dusty Gilpin with the assistance of Dylan Bradway. The mural came about when local Edmond developer Matthew Meyers contacted Dusty about the project.

Said Dusty, “It was his idea to do kind of the, what I would call, a postcard style ‘Welcome To’ mural, and we just brainstormed ideas about what was going to fill those letters. Then, I drafted the image, Matthew

and I agreed upon a price, and we proposed it to the city.”

Cinda Covel, the director of public art for the Edmond Visual Arts Coalition (EVAC), shared that the mural was funded through EVAC’s partner matching public art program. EVAC covered half of the cost while donors covered the other half. The donors involved were Switchgrass, McKinnis Law Firm, The Small Group, Lap 7 Development, and AC Owen

Construction.

While this style of mural has become popular in cities across America, the “Welcome to Edmond” mural also features references to Edmond’s culture and history with each letter in the word “Edmond” focused on a unique part of the city’s past.

“One letter is an image that we used from the Historical Society of the inside of that department store that it used to be in that building. Another image is a depiction of the train that used to go through Edmond right there by the Railyard,” said Dusty.

Dusty has created and installed several murals, but this style was new for him.

“My art is kind of more pop art style. Doing something like that,

more traditional, was fun and it was definitely a learning process,” said Dusty. “I like whenever I get a job or an experience to paint something different or new, that one was new to me, even though it’s an older style”

This unique spot in downtown Edmond is a great way to both enjoy and create art. Adjacent to the “Welcome to Edmond” mural is a chalk wall titled “I’m Grateful” installed by local artist Zonly Looman. Here, people can get involved in the art process themselves by using the chalk near the mural to write something that they’re grateful for.

This area has become a very popular spot in Edmond and Dusty believes that this speaks to the power of public art in communities.

Said Dusty, “A mural adds a landmark to a community. It activates an area, even if it’s like an alley, where you might have people just lingering, loitering or no activity at all, if you put a mural there, then you just start to bring people into that area, and things like trash get picked up. It just really tidies up a place.”

Dusty says that there are several different ways to support local artists and grow the art presence in the community. You can purchase artwork and merchandise, make a donation, or attend art festivals and shows. There are also other ways that you can show your support without spending any money.

“A very simple way of just supporting local artists is by tagging them and crediting them in social media posts. A lot of people love to take pictures in front of murals, and I encourage that greatly. I love to see my work behind people living their lives and loving the work.”

The “Welcome to Edmond” mural is an example of how investment in local art positively impact a community. It has become a focal point in downtown Edmond, and Dusty believes it will be around for a long time.

“It’s a very classic sign. I think what was cool about painting this one is that I feel like it’s going to be a relatively long-lasting mural. It may have more of a legacy than like a pop art mural,” said Dusty. I feel like the Welcome to Edmond one might just be there for a long time because it’s so well received by the community.”