Growth Culture

Artist: Jill Wells with Project Blackboard

Growth Culture celebrates the cultural diversity of Des Moines through a vibrant display of color and four distinct cultural patterns, the chevron, swirl, Ankara, and paisley. The initials E.K.D are marked on the court to honor the park’s name. Together, artist Jill Wells and collaborator Project Blackboard, along with the City of Des Moines, aim to create an inclusive and welcoming environment on the basketball courts that promotes learning, collaboration, safety, and community development through art and design.

For ease of maintenance, the mural uses primary colors and color-blocking, creating a balanced and uniform design across two full courts and a half-court. Within the three-point-line, the patterns are featured. Outside of the three-point line, leaves fill the court.

Project Blackboard, founded in 2015, makes it their mission to renovate public basketball courts and install large scale works of site-specific art on the surface. With more 40 vibrant basketball courts across the United States, this will be Projects Blackboard’s first location in Iowa.

Learn more about the art from WHO13 News.