CLINTON, Iowa – The Paint It Back Block Party – a week of art, music and celebrations – will return here Saturday, Aug. 16, to Aug. 23.
The third annual festival will feature a full week of public art, music, fashion, family fun, and community celebration. The festival centers around the live mural transformation of a vacant car dealership at McKinley and Main Street. There, nine acclaimed artists — from national street art pioneers to rising creative voices — will repaint every wall of the space with bold, colorful, large-scale works.
The Paint it Back annual street art festival aims to transform Clinton’s Lyons District into an evolving mural gallery.
The event was co-created by Gabi Torres and Chris Shannon in 2023. “Our mission is to harness the power of public art to bring new life to spaces, energize communities, and spur economic development and growth.,” according to the Paint it Back organizers.
The celebration culminates with the Paint it Back Block Party on Saturday, Aug. 23, a day-long event packed with live music, an adrenaline-filled paint battle, food, fashion, kids’ activities, and interactive art experiences.
Here are some of the festival events:
- Weeklong Urban Gallery: Aug. 16–22. Over the course of the week, the public is invited to watch the murals take shape, meet the artists, and experience the power of creative placemaking. Each wall painted tells a story, building on last year’s work and breathing new life into a once-vacant corner of Clinton. Artists will be painting live throughout the week, transforming the dealership into a living, evolving mural gallery open to all. To view the artist lineup visit here or come out Friday night, Aug. 22, for an official artist meet and greet.
- Paint it Back Block Party will be from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23.
- Street Art Paint Battle: This includes two artists, one wall each. Five hours. A $500 cash prize on the line. Sponsored by AdCraft Custom Apparel and Mech, this live showdown brings street art to life. Jacob Schoenhaar will battle Jacob Kuderman.
