Many say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Except, anyone who stumbles upon the two-and-a-half-story mural on Fairbank’s 2nd Street North at VanDaele Insurance would surely pause to take in the beautiful piece crafted by the hands and precise work of Dan Hatala of Hatala Illustration. Hatala was contacted by Rochelle Kane with the Fairbank Mural Project to work on a piece as a part of Fairbank’s Main Street renovation project as fundraising for the project two years prior came to a close.
The project received a $3,500 grant from the Max and Helen Guernsey Foundation back in May that helped move the start date closer and raised around $1,700 through donations and giveaways. “They didn’t have anything in mind,” he said of the brainstorming session. “I said I really like to do random, Midwestern, wholesome pieces.
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It’s really nice when you can work two things together like that.” A lift was also donated by Rick Woods with Modern Building Products. The mural officially started in June and was completed in July and depicts a little girl in overalls catching fireflies in a jar.
Murals fell into place for the Waverly native only within the last decade, but the work Hatala has sprinkled around Iowa’s towns says more than words about his talent. “I just like the feel-good kind of images,” he said. “I’m not into politics and stuff like that.
I like doing things involving kids, and these murals are going in small towns.” He gets some of his inspir.