Gilchrist Supports West 7th Street Corridor Art Project
West 7th Street between Hamilton Boulevard and Wesley Parkway looks quite a bit different today than it did just a handful of years ago. The vital and historic Sioux City street has changed a lot over the last several years. Millions of dollars have been invested on West 7th, including a complete street reconstruction and the façade improvement program, which includes art projects supported in part by the Gilchrist Foundation. In 2020, the Foundation awarded $30,000 to the Siouxland Chamber Foundation for art projects, like painted murals, along the street.
Newly Completed West 7th Mural
In September 2021, a new mural by artist Sarah C. Rutherford was finished. Rutherford started work on the mural located at 214 West 7th Street in late August and finished it within a couple of weeks. The focus of the mural is a large photorealistic harrier hawk set amongst corn and a prairie scene. The hawk is flying towards the street, creating movement and with it, change. The image represents the regenerative efforts of prairie spaces in recent years and the effort made regarding the revitalization of West 7th Street. Rutherford utilizes a mixture of spray paint and brush techniques to create the image. The mural is visible from Wesley Parkway and the downtown area.
About Sarah C. Rutherford
Rutherford is a nationally known artist who hails from Rochester, N.Y. She has developed her skills as a respected muralist, illustrator, educator and community leader. Collaboration is a consistent thread that connects her work to many different venues, such as, but not limited to, co-founding THE YARDS Collaborative Art Space in 2011 as a community art space, co-creating ROC PAINT Division in 2015 as a city-funded youth mural arts employment program and most recently, the launch and implementation of her comprehensive public art project, “Her Voice Carries,” a documentary film which follows her public art projects centered around women lifting up the voices of others.
This mural is the first of several that will be installed throughout the West 7th Street Corridor to further improve the aesthetics of the area. The next two murals will be painted by local artists.
The Gilchrist Foundation Supports Art Across Siouxland
The Gilchrist Foundation has made supported art across Siouxland since its inception. The mission of the Gilchrist Foundation is to carry out the philanthropy that was originally established by the Gilchrist family – specifically supporting the arts and public broadcasting, wildlife and conservation and disaster relief. The goal of the Foundation is to foster the long-term viability of charities around Siouxland and enabling special projects, rather than supplying short-term operating funds. The Foundation awards incentives and funds to pre-selected non-profit organizations, with a preference for the Sioux City area. Visit our Applications page to learn more about the process.