Planning Services

Community Development

Rain Art
Rain Art is back again in 2024! On May 17, Day of Caring volunteers will install Rain Art on sidewalks with environmentally friendly, rain-activated, invisible spray. The art will become visible when the pavement gets wet and will last up to four months.

A crowd-sourced rain art map, created by our wonderful Day of Caring volunteers, will be active around May 20, 2024. Volunteers did their best to map art accurately, but some locations may not be exact. **All rain art is installed on sidewalks near bus stops or trails** (NO rain art is in streets).
Rain art is only visible when wet!

Songbird Temporary Art Project

The Public Art Commission has collaborated with the University of Iowa Arts Share Program, the Parks and Recreation Department, and Sustainability, for a temporary songbird art project that will be installed at Ellis, Bever, and Manhattan Parks. The installation of art, by Grant Wood Art Colony artist Shea Hembrey, is scheduled to take place between May 8 and 10, weather permitting.

The artist will scrape a clean circle at each location and paint it with natural pigments. The art will be observable for three to four weeks, depending on rainfall. Once the pigment dissolves, the artist will plant trees at each location.

Public Art Plan
The planning process for the Public Art Plan, the City's first, began in June 2021. The Public Art Plan utilizes input from residents and stakeholders to define a vision for the City’s public art program (see community survey results at the bottom of the page). The plan sets the framework to achieve these community goals. The plan's primary goal is to continue to enhance the artistic identity and cultural life in Cedar Rapids for its residents, businesses and visitors.

City Council adopted the Public Art Plan at their April 26, 2022 meeting. Plan updates were added March 2024:

CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS' PUBLIC ART PLAN

Public outreach in the summer of 2021 included focus groups, a survey, an open house, a drop-in happy hour for informal engagement and discussion about local art, and several pop-up events throughout the community.

The Iowa Artist Directory is a statewide hub to connect the community with artists of all disciplines and for artists to find opportunities.