Residents in a Des Moines neighborhood were quick to notice that a mural of the late civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis featuring the phrase “Black Lives Matter” had disappeared from the side of a laundromat where it had stood since 2020.
The mural had been painted over during the weekend, but artist Reuben Cheatem — who now lives in Dallas, Texas — wasn't made aware until Monday, when a stranger reached out to notify him on Facebook.
"It just let me know how important it was to the community," Cheatem said, recalling the woman's Facebook message. "Not only was she struck by its absence, she felt it important enough to reach out to me, even though she doesn't know me."
The artwork, formerly located at University Laundry at 1215 6th Ave., was among several murals on the building created as part of the Third Space Community Mural Program, which has installed public art throughout Des Moines. However, the murals were not under written contract, and the building’s owner, JBD Investments LLC, is painting over them in preparation for selling the property. IPR reached out to JBD Investments for comment but did not hear back.
"It is important to acknowledge the timing of this removal during an incredibly difficult time for so many people, especially for those who saw themselves reflected in this mural in some way," Third Space Mural Coordinator Brian Bonanno wrote in a statement. "I cannot overstate that Reuben’s response to the passing of John Lewis, and the Black Lives Matter movement, held so much power. While most of our murals alluded to things like diversity, equity, and inclusion, no other piece stated more directly, and more beautifully, what it was for and who it was for, than this mural."
Cheatem said he wasn’t given any notice before the murals were removed. While it's not legally necessary for the building owners to do so, he felt it was a disservice to the community.
"Murals have a certain implied impermanence, so artists understand that it's subjected to outdoor elements, and ... subjected to the will of the ownership of the property," he acknowledged. "But at the same time, after five years, I'm sure that they were abreast of the connection that the community had with that mural ... And so, just as a gesture, it would have been nice to ... have been reached out to tell us of their plans to cover all of the artwork on that property."
Bonanno said he hopes that, with the help of the city and other groups, it will be possible to locate a new, permanent space for Cheatem to paint a mural "of equal significance and meaning."
