The 1980s pop art painting style is making an appearance in Jefferson City with a new mural going up on East Capital Avenue.
Artist Amy Greenbank said she drew inspiration from the bright colors common in '80s art.
The 60-foot mural will brighten up a temporary fence put up as a protective barrier while work is done on the lot behind it. She started work Tuesday and hopes to have the mural complete by Porchfest in June.
While she's been working, Greenbank said, she's heard nothing but positive feedback from those walking or driving past.
"As I'm painting, people are stopping to chat with me that I would never get a chance to meet (otherwise)," she said. "So, it feels really special that I was asked to do this, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm enjoying meeting the community."
After three days of work, Greenbank said, most of the color blocks and outlining is finished. The next step is to go back in and add details. Once finished, the piece will be sealed in as well.
"It's going faster than I expected," she said.
The location is part of the area hit by the 2019 tornado, which resulted in the loss of three buildings in the area.
It is planned for development, but in the meantime, the fence is up to keep people from falling off a ledge there, Greenbank said.
However, her art will not be lost. Rather it will be moved to another, undetermined, location in the area once the fence is no longer needed there.
The area's history as it is next to the Missouri State Penitentiary as well as the tornado and the city's art scene served as inspiration, Greenbank said.
"It's definitely inspired by Jefferson City's history, and there's a lot of nods to it," she said. "As you look, you can discover throughout there is part of our history or like, there's going to be a breeze with the Missouri waltz and that's kind of a nod to the tornado, but we made it through it."
One nod to the area's history will come in the form of five shoes hidden throughout the mural for observers to find. They serve as a reference to the five shoe factories once operated at MSP.
It also features the Missouri River, the Capitol dome and architecture in the area.
Through sheet music, instruments, a stage and other symbols, Greenbank said she wanted to showcase the city's art culture and a hope for it to continue growing.
Greenbank said she worked with city officials to brainstorm and workshop several ideas before landing on the one going up.
Overall, Greenbank said she hopes the mural serves as a spot of positivity for the community.
"I hope they see that it's representing Jefferson City's history in several different aspects and also that we want to move forward with the arts in Jefferson City; maybe have more murals, and make sure that all of the various arts are celebrated here," she said. "I'd also like them to just get a positive vibe from it. After some hard times with COVID and the tornado, I wanted something that would just make people smile."