By Claire Kohl
You may have noticed a few old-fashioned folks wearing stylish glasses during your most recent visit to The Avenues. If those people are painted on the side of Vogue Vision, they are from the new mural “History Has Eyes On You” by Mollie Wallace.
The Beatles poster that inspired Mollie’s mural design.
On the east-facing wall of 2405 Ingersoll, vintage photos from the late 1800s are contrasted with modern glasses and bright floral backgrounds. As a big fan of The Beatles, Mollie drew inspiration for her mural design from a Beatles poster.
“It had psychedelic stuff in the background and had black-and-white photos of the band members. I was working with the theme of Vogue Vision, so I was like, what if I just chose photos that were old-timey and put sunglasses on them?” said Mollie. “I found images of sunglasses that match the angle of the characters’ heads, cut those out and placed them, and edited the opacity of the sunglasses to match their faces.”
Mollie did not know who the figures in the photographs were when she chose them, but they all turned out to be historically significant.
Names and descriptions of the people pictured in “History Has Eyes on You” by Mollie Wallace.
‘Cellophane flowers of yellow and green, towering over your head’
Oriental peonies and henna-inspired flowers outlined in black jump off the wall, hugging the bespectacled figures that peek through the windows of the Vogue Vision building.
“I wanted it to be a kind of snake design where it went up and down through the wall. I just wanted to make something that was fun to look at, that would be visually interesting and would make people smile,” said Mollie. “It looks like photographs on cool wallpaper.”
If Mollie’s colorful style looks familiar, maybe it’s because you’ve seen her work in other prominent places across Des Moines, including murals inside Lua Brewing and the FreeStore or on the DART bus shelter in front of Old Main on University Avenue.
‘Take a sad song and make it better’
Mollie Wallace poses next to her mural at Vogue Vision.
From looking at Mollie’s bright and playful artwork, you would have no idea that the artist has been through two nationally significant traumatic events.
Not only was Mollie in New York City during 9/11, but she was also in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. In 2004, Mollie graduated from art school at the Pratt Institute and moved to New Orleans.
Mollie met her husband, had her son, and lived there for 15 years before returning to her hometown of Des Moines, where her parents still lived.
‘I get by with a little help from my friends’
Mollie said her parents are her biggest supporters – helping remodel her house, paint her murals, and celebrate her success. During Art on The Avenues in June, the Rumble Walls event included a dedication to Mollie’s new mural at Vogue Vision. Mollie’s parents and son were at the event to watch her work be honored.
“It makes me happy because I like to be able to see my work and be proud of it and what I’ve done,” said Mollie. “Everyone needs some whimsy right now. What I want to do as an artist is to create things that people want to look at over and over again, and bring them joy.”
Pictured from Left to Right: Jacob Kuperman, Lauren Kollauf, Theresa Greenfield and Mollie Wallace.
Ingersoll’s new mural, “History Has Eyes On You” by Mollie Wallace, was made possible by funding from Invest DSM, Wells Fargo and Vogue Vision. Special thanks to Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design for assistance with mural curation.
“Great neighborhoods are built through investments that strengthen both places and people. Public art has a unique ability to bring communities together, celebrate local identity, and create a sense of pride that extends far beyond a single project,” said Theresa Greenfield, Executive Director, Invest DSM. “Murals reflect the creativity and energy of our city, and we are proud to support efforts that make our commercial corridors more vibrant, welcoming, and connected.”
Contact the artist: Mollie Wallace is open for commissions. Check out her work on her Facebook page.
