Artist completes downtown mural

     Downtown Hampton has gotten a bit more colorful.
     After 12 days of painting, the finishing touches have been put on a Hampton themed mural.
     The giant sized art project began months ago as the Greater Franklin County Area Chamber of Commerce decided to start an Alley Art program through Main Street Iowa. After deciding what it was they wanted to do, Chamber Director Newton Grotzinger began the search for volunteers to make it possible.
     The canvas for the project was donated by Belen Krabbe in the form of her downtown building. From there, Grotzinger enlisted the artistic talents of Ricardo Ramirez to design and paint a mural representing some of the city's best features.
     "Coming up with the idea probably took longer than painting it," said Ramirez.
    Read the full article in the June 22 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.