LECLAIRE, IOWA (June 26, 2023) — Aunt Hattie’s Fanciful Emporium will officially introduce a new mural with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 5:15PM. The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce ceremony will take place in front of the mural, which is located on the south side of the building at 110 South Cody Road.
The ribbon-cutting will include a performance by a small group of dancers from Above The Barre Dance Studio and a reception celebrating the mural will immediately follow at Aunt Hattie’s Fanciful Emporium at 102 South Cody Road.
Donna Walley, the founder and owner of Aunt Hattie’s, has wanted to add a mural on the south-facing wall of the building for years and made it a priority to make this dream come true in 2023.
She commissioned artist Heidi Sallows of MuralSoup in the Quad Cities to paint the mural featuring colorful and majestic butterfly wings. Stone steps and flower beds were added to create a spot for visitors to take their photo in a way that makes them part of the butterfly and to have a new LeClaire memory.
“We wanted to create something fun for people to take pictures with. We considered several ideas, but butterflies always make me smile and feel good,” Walley says.
Walley hopes the butterfly will inspire the City of LeClaire and other businesses to continue adding murals throughout the Cody Road Cultural and Entertainment District in historic downtown LeClaire. The District was established in 2007 and re-designated by the State of Iowa in 2018.
“Many years ago, my husband and I visited Steubenville, Ohio, located on the Ohio River. The city has more than 20 murals and they are all amazing. When we moved to LeClaire nearly 20 years ago, a city on a river, we always thought murals could add to the appeal of LeClaire as a great place to live, visit, shop and stay,” Walley says.
After the wall was painted with a blue primer, Sallows took over, spending mornings and evenings to finish the project in less than two weeks.
Sallows, who grew up in Port Byron, became inspired to do more painting after she helped create a backdrop for her high-school play, “Mash.” After graduating in 1995, she painted her first mural in 1996 and has been painting murals ever since.
“I’ve wanted to paint a mural in LeClaire for a very long time. And I’ve wanted to paint a giant butterfly as well, so this opportunity was a great combo,” Sallows says.
Last year, Sallows joined forces with Sarah Robb, another local artist who has been painting murals in the Quad Cities for more than twenty years, as owners to establish MuralSoup Co LLC in 2022.
Combined, they have painted more than 100 murals over the years for businesses and private clients, including Bent River Brewing Co in Moline, Cabanas in Rock Island, the 11th Street Precinct in the Village of East Davenport, Augustana College, and Los Portales in Moline, among many more.
“Every summer, Sarah and I also both work with the Quad City Arts Metro Art Youth Apprenticeship Program creating murals,” Sallows says.
For more information about MuralSoup, visit MuralSoup.com.
