Dubuque Murals: Exploring Colourful Street Art In Dubuque Iowa | USA
I’m a sucker when it comes to street art, I wrote a previous post on some of the street art locations in Camden, London! In the American Midwest, Dubuque Iowa has EXPLODED with colourful murals! There are several pieces scattered across Downtown Dubuque, but the majority are in a 4 block area between Locust St, Main St and 1st St to 4th St. Here’s are some Dubuque murals you can expect to see!
Dubuque Murals
Downtown Area
The Murals are created by the Voices Mural Project. The project started in 2016 and has been growing steadily since! This area of Dubuque was considered phrase 1 of the project, with the next phrase spreading out further through downtown to encourage people to visit areas that they may not usually go too! There are now over 45 murals.
I love the way that a lot of the pieces have been painted AROUND the windows rather than just on blank walls. It almost gives the buildings a 3D feel…like the windows have been stuck on top of the painting!
There are a couple of basic pattern pieces (imagine the type of designs you’d find in an adult colouring book)…I can guarantee that they’ll be used as back drops for Instagram photos…well they will be appearing in my feed eventually!
The girl below is hard to photograph, it’s best to stand on the opposite side of the road! I like the way it looks on the staggered building though. There’s another piece on the side of the lower building that stretches down a narrow side road, lots of cars were parked in front of it so I couldn’t really see it in all its glory!
I didn’t even notice the stick man in this photo below until I was looking back through my photos once I was home! Early in the morning, the hanging basket around this building had just been watered and were dripping, almost making it feel as if the flowers in the mural had just been watered!
This particular piece is right opposite the Hotel Julien (you can just about see the hotel front on the right hand side of the shot)!
Other Murals in Dubuque
The horse and fox piece is further down Locust St, on the other side of the road, along 5th…opposite the back of the Post Office building. Check out the star on the horse’s reins, it’s actually one of the studs in the building!
The mural above named ‘Zor Zor Zor’ can be found along E 10th St in the Historic Millwork District. The face part of the mural is sunk into the building so you can sit on the ledge and get a photo with it!
You can find the mural below down E 7th St opposite the Court House! There are a couple around this particular block!
The artists that painted the murals worked with the owners of the buildings to come up with paintings that would match the businesses that the wall belongs to. For example, the one below is on a pawn and jewellery shop along Central Ave and 16th St, so it has the pocket watches and chains!
My absolute favourite mural in Dubuque so far is the one below by Luis Valle. I love the colours and the technique, it reminds me a lot of Australian aboriginal art (which is what my art final project was based on back in school!).
It also incorporates landmarks in Dubuque, such as the Mississippi River and the Julien Dubuque Bridge…you can just about see the bridge, but a car was kinda blocking it! This one is on Central Ave heading toward 17th St.
There are now several more in this area around Central Ave and 15th – 17th St but I haven’t yet managed to check them out!
If you follow down both 15th and 16th to the point where they cross with Washington St, the 2 roundabouts have murals on the road! You can just about see them from ground level, but this is a photo that I took on my drone! Just like the Luis Valle piece, it features Dubuque landmarks. This one includes the Town Clock and the airport!
Tips For Viewing The Murals in Dubuque
If you’re crazy like me, I visited before going to the Farmers’ Market. The benefit of going this early on a Saturday morning is that the parking meters are free before 8am! I parked up along 3rd St and just ran around ‘collecting’ all of the pieces! Otherwise you’ll need a pocket full of quarters or visit on a Sunday when it’s free to park!
Dubuque Murals Map
For more things to do in Dubuque, here’s my jam packed guide! 46 Top Things To Do in Dubuque Iowa, Recommended By A Local!
What’s your favourite Dubuque mural?
About the Author – Kylie
My travels have taken me to over 40 countries worldwide (& I lived in USA for 4yrs). I hold a BTEC National Diploma in Travel & Tourism (triple distinction) and have been writing on Between England & Everywhere since 2015.
Expert in: Adventure travel🎢, beach destinations🏖️, and packing light (mid-budget backpacker)🎒
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Last Updated on April 3, 2024
beautiful pieces of street art,thanks for sharing with us!
Thanks for the comment! It’s really transformed the area, it’s so colourful now!