Mountains and Murals Mount Barker

29/06/2024

The next Walldog event in June 2026 is in Menomonie WI.
Plenty of time to save your pennies 😉

14/09/2023

Jay Allen’s updated version of his Walldogs book has been released, featuring both festivals in Mount Barker. Jay and the team at Mountains and Murals have donated a copy to the Mount Barker library. If you can’t buy your own, feel free to drop into our beautiful library and browse this photographic history of the Walldogs murals.

10/08/2023

For those interested in the list of Walldog events over the years

05/08/2023

Joys story that she filmed whilst here last year will be aired on Wish TV in Indianapolis.
Thank you Joy Hernandez-Butler for showcasing our town and festival.

Joy Hernandez is a photographer and reporter for Great Day TV, but she's also an artist.Recently she took her talents 'down under' and visited Australia. She...

13/07/2023

With Humeston Watermelon Day coming up, it’s time to announce Humeston’s new mural: recognizing the early settlers around Humeston and how the Mormon Trail School District got its name!

Theme: How the School Was Named. The Mormon Trail went through the area around present-day Humeston, and there was an important encampment established at Garden Grove in 1846. There were also a number of other early immigrants moving into the area – many using the same trails and suffering the same difficult travel conditions as all of the pre-railroad immigrants to and through Wayne County.

Some of the earliest immigrants were Marshall and Mary Jane (Gwinn) Richman, who came to Wayne County in 1850 from Greenbrier County, West Virginia, and settled in what became Richman Township. Mr. Richman was county surveyor from 1851 to 1856 during a time of great population growth in Wayne County. He also served as a justice of the peace for 18 years, a member of the Board of Supervisors for several terms, a school director, and as postmaster at Selma (in Richman township from 1866-1878) until the post office was discontinued.

Many immigrants passing through Wayne County stopped by Marshall and Mary Jane Richman’s home for provisions. Other early settlers in the area also reported seeing and offering services to travelers who still followed the Mormon Trail, and the locals at area trading posts would watch for the “Saints” as they came through.

When the Mormon Trail School District was formed in 1959, it was named in recognition of the trail through the Humeston / Garden Grove / Le Roy area. The school’s name recognizes how important the western migration across the United States was to the formation and early economic growth of our local communities.

This mural will feature art inspired by log cabins and settler experiences in Wayne County.

Location: Humeston City Hall.

Lead Artist: David Johnson, Mt. Barker, Western Australia. David organized a Walldogs festival in his hometown in Australia in 2019, where he was also the local police sergeant. He’s an experienced signpainter and we’re fortunate that he’s flying so far to spend his time with us this summer!

16/06/2023

The Walldogs are going back to where it all began for their 30th anniversary- Wayne County, Iowa.
There’s some familiar names in the list of project leaders, including a local 😊

25/05/2023

A great friendship has formed thanks to Artists and community coming together ❤️

07/05/2023

14/04/2023

11/04/2023

Not only did Joy Hernandez-Butler paint a mural at the school, she also filmed a couple of stories for Indianapolis TV.

Hey Mate, Crocodile Dundee might be a famous reflection on Australia, but our Joy Hernandez recently journeyed to this fabulous country and she had her hands...