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DOWAGIAC — A vibrant new mural in downtown Dowagiac was created to greet community members and visitors alike for years to come.

Artist Joe Scola recently completed his “Welcome to Dowagiac, Michigan” mural located on the Commercial Street-facing wall of Deck The Halls.

Commissioned by Jeff and Melissa Gunn, the mural concept was inspired by vintage postcards and features imagery associated with the greater Dowagiac area: The letter “D” features golfing, “O” a bonfire, “W” the downtown cityscape, “A” fishing, “G” inland lakes, “I” the city flag and dogwood plants, “A” a Dowagiac runner and Southwestern Michigan College runner running on a local trail and “C” produce.

“We tried to come up with things that were very general, but things that people in the area that every single person that either lives here, comes to visit here or just passes through will participate in one of those things,” Melissa said. “I really hope that it’s something that people want to take pictures of and take pictures with and just kind of shed more light on our adorable little town.”

Inspired by cities like Nashville, Tennessee that have embraced downtown murals, Jeff and Melissa started planning the mural last year.

“I had always said that should be a great spot for a mural,” Melissa said. “It seems like Nashville was kind of the first city to do murals all over their downtown and all you saw for the longest time was people standing in front of them. I thought that was such a cool thing and I thought we could do something like that here in Dowagiac.”