5 Reasons Why Rochester Needs More Art

Just a few weeks ago, I ventured off in my vehicle with my family and we went on a 3,020-mile road trip. Three kids, my husband, lots of snacks and the phrase "you are just going to have to hold it because we just stopped 30 minutes ago.". On our little adventure, I noticed one BIG thing that seems to be lacking in our awesome town of Rochester - art.

I'm not sure what the art terms are but the type that I'm talking about is what you see on the side of buildings, the gorgeous murals that make you smile, or even the old "billboards" that have been kept on the side of buildings that help date the town. All of those things are very minimal in Rochester and I realized that we are a pretty sterile town when it comes to art. I know sterile is an odd word but it truly is the best way to describe our lack of character compared to other towns.

Street Art Captured by Jessica Williams

Here are 5 Reasons Why Rochester Needs More Street and Building Art

Art brings out emotion - including happiness. I don't have any scientific data to back that up but I can tell you that as I was walking in Austin, TX, my smile grew with every new piece of building art that I saw...and there were a lot...which means I was really happy that day.

It makes our town more colorful! (See above the comment on how we look pretty sterile)

Instagrammable Moments! Let's create some moments where people love to grab a selfie and let's get a hashtag going like #RochesterMNLove or #ILoveRochesterMN. We have a few things in town that have started this movement but we can do better.

Jessica Williams and her family standing at a piece of art in Rochester, MN

Family Photo Opps - We've all done the "stand by this rustic barn" pose. A few years ago I had a friend take my kids' pictures by the painted electrical boxes downtown and in all sorts of great locations that weren't "the norm". One place that I loved was this huge orange wall. I love this wall...and yet, now it seems as if there is a fence blocking people from seeing this great piece of art.

Celebrates who we are! - Rochester is a melting pot of professions, cultures, families, age ranges, and if you haven't noticed, we have LOTS and LOTS of visitors. Let's welcome those in our town and create moments where we showcase that Minnesota Nice that we are known for. I'm not saying we need to throw a tator tot hotdish up on a brick wall, that would be silly (but a great Instagrammable spot!). I'm thinking more of what I saw down South where there was a large wall with a backdrop showcasing what represents the town. The name of the town was in great big letters and the whole thing looked like a giant postcard.

What do you say, Rochester? Are we ready to get a little bit on the colorful side and do more than just silver shapes? Let me know what you think over on my Facebook page (Jessica On The Radio) or DM me on Instagram.

To those that have helped created some of the color in our town...thank you! Click here to see where you can find some gorgeous pieces of art right now in our town.

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