Press Release: Uncover the Colorful Side of Greater Peoria with Launch of Interactive Art Mural Map

Uncover the Colorful Side of Greater Peoria with Launch of Interactive Art Mural Map

Partners from several organizations have collaborated to map and create an interactive virtual tour of more than 60 public murals in Greater Peoria.

Peoria & Tazewell Counties (February 22, 2023):  An interactive story map of more than 60 public murals in the Tri-County region was released today by Big Picture Peoria, the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.  The story map was developed to help residents find and appreciate the myriad of public art permanently available in the tri-county region.

The story map idea developed when Dan Newcomb, GIS Manager for TWM, Inc., and Lenora Fisher, the GPEDC’s Business Attraction Director, participated in a mural bike ride coordinated by Mark Monge, founder of Peoria Outdoor Adventure.  While riding with the group, they brainstormed ways that story maps using GIS could make the ride accessible to participants and feature the public art across the community all year round.

“Throughout my career in GIS, I had seen story maps used as powerful tools for telling community stories across the country, and I thought it would be a great tool for bringing our mural trail to life in a cool new way,” says Dan Newcomb,  Peoria resident and GIS Manager at TWM.  

Dan and Lenora shared their idea with Doug and Eileen Leunig, founders of Big Picture Peoria. Big Picture Peoria had already mapped mural locations for the bike ride for a Google map using photos and addresses of the murals. They quickly jumped on the opportunity to make the map more interactive for residents looking to explore the community’s art.

“We were very excited when Lenora and Dan approached us with the story map idea. What a great way to showcase the talent in our community and the vibrancy of our public art,” says Doug Leunig. “The story map is an easy-to-use tool that lets everyone locate public art in Central Illinois, and we are excited to watch it grow,” adds Eileen Leunig.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission made the project possible by building the story map.  Commissioned to develop strategies that enhance the region’s communities, they were pleased with how the mural map supported that mission, creating a public platform for the entire region to enjoy.

The Greater Peoria Mural Map will be accessible on the Big Picture Peoria’s website located at https://bigpicturepeoria.org/ and also on the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council’s website at https://greaterpeoriaedc.org/our-community/greater-peoria-public-mural-map/.

And as public murals are added or discovered in the region, artists and residents are invited to send the mural address, photo, and artist name to Eileen Leunig at dande@bigpicturepeoria.org  for inclusion on the map.

For more information, please contact Eileen Leunig at bigpicturepeoria@gmail.com or Lenora Fisher at lfisher@greaterpeoriaedc.org.   

About The Big Picture Initiative:

The Big Picture Initiative is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to build a thriving and vibrant community for all by using arts and creativity as a driver for social change, economic development, and wellness.They do this by providing arts-based solutions, promoting and supporting artists and arts initiatives, and advancing arts education.

About the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council:

(GPEDC) is a regional economic development organization covering the Greater Peoria area spanning five counties in central Illinois: Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Logan, and Mason. The GPEDC’s mission is to promote economic development in the region through its six core programs: Business Attraction, Business Assistance, Workforce Solutions, Innovation and Startups, Rural Development, and the development and promotion of a regional Manufacturing Network.

About Tri County Regional Planning Commission:

Established in 1958, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) serves the Tri-County Region of Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties, located in Central Illinois. The Tri-County Region is comprised of three counties, supporting 48 communities, and over 350,000 residents. The primary function of TCRPC is to study the needs and conditions of our region and to develop strategies that enhance the region’s communities. 

About TWM

As the 7th largest engineering firm in the entire St. Louis region, TWM, Inc. provides Civil and Structural, Land Surveying, and other Geospatial Services to both public and private sector clients. Over the last 75 years, TWM has diversified into five primary disciplines – Structures, Transportation, Land Development, Water Infrastructure, and Surveying/Geospatial. Employee-owned, TWM, Inc. is experienced and focused on solving your problems with accurate and cost-effective solutions. They care deeply about providing exceptional services to you as a client. Due to the solid reputation we have built for being able to get the job done right, we proudly retain approximately 95% of our clients’ business. 

Offices in: Peoria, IL, Swansea, IL, Edwardsville, IL, Columbia, IL, St. Charles, MO, Columbia, MO, St. Louis, MO, Chattanooga, TN, Franklin, TN.

Press Contact