“Altus” shines light on bright history and future of Altoona

Mural will be the highlight of a new pocket park in the eastern Polk Co. community 

ALTOONA, Iowa – Artist Mila Sketch has completed the final brush strokes and applied the protective coating to her newest creation, Altus in Olde Town Altoona. The mural towers over the historic district on the side of the Borseth Law Office (111 2^nd St SE), and highlights nearly 40 different buildings, community features, historic elements or natural reminders of aspects that make up the city of Altoona. A list of these elements can be found on the Altoona Arts and Council Commission’s page on the city’s website.

Altus was made possible thanks to matching grant funding the City of Altoona received from Bravo Greater Des Moines. The mural is the first phase of work to transform a vacant lot in Altoona’s historic Olde Town district into a pocket park that serves as a connection between the nearby Vern Willey II Bike Trail and historic businesses located along 2^nd St SE. The pocket park project is part of larger efforts in the Altoona community to harness public and private partnerships to revitalize the historic region of the city.