Painting Project Planned At Sioux Falls Park

A Sioux Falls neighborhood park is getting a facelift.

Artists are in town this week to unveil plans for a new mural at Meldrum Park on the city's east side.

The only colors on the massive white concrete wall at Meldrum Park today cover up less desirable artwork.

"It was worse," neighbor Kenneth Neuharth said.

Neuharth lives across the street from Meldrum Park. A look out his window puts the wall squarely in view.

"It was splattered up for a little while there. And they painted over it, covered over it," Neuharth said.

And now it's poised to get a big facelift. A large mural will cover the white walls and dark spots covering up graffiti.  Neuharth hopes it will be as colorful as the groups of children he often sees playing in the park.

"It is a busy park. We see a lot of people out there. And a lot of different ethnic groups. And they mix and play together. Especially in the evenings," Neuharth said.

There project will also include other public art elements. It comes courtesy of a $50,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Because it enhances the neighborhood, I think it's going to make the people that go here feel good about the park. It's going to just be a positive thing. It's got to be," Neuharth said.

It will add some color and cover up the graffiti Neuharth and his neighbors see each day.

If you want to know more, you can hear about the project directly from the artists.  There are three meeting scheduled this week.  The first is at the 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Museum of Visual Materials in downtown Sioux Falls. There is also one at 6:30 Thursday night at the Downtown Library, and the final one is scheduled for noon Friday at the downtown library.