Mississippi River Festival Mural
Designer: Jordan Bauer, Artists: Caleb Hauck and Joe Albanese
Dedicated in June 4, 2024
ROCK ON! An arm and fist saluting town with a rock on symbol was painted on the side of the old Royal Office Products building at 8 West Broadway in celebration of the 2024 revival of the Mississippi River Festival. The festival was held at the Alton Amphitheater on June 22, 2024. There are several Alton landmarks painted on the arm, including the Clark Bridge and the Piasa Bird.
Nick Bifano, the director of the Mississippi River Festival, explained the importance of the mural to the MRF mission. “We just thought this would be a really cool addition to the town,” Bifano said. “We initially were like, let’s just get the logo up, one, for visibility of the festival, but then two, the MRF was all about art and culture, and I think anytime you see art in a downtown space, it kind of brings the town to life in a cool way. There’s tons of other iconic murals in Alton.”
Artists Joe Albanese of Fly Rite Signs and Caleb Hauck with Someone Else Signs to paint the mural. Hauck, an Alton-based artist, did much of the painting.
