Colorful mosaic mural coming to 6th Street, Spring 2026

Some people look at a blank wall and see a blank wall. Others see potential for a beautiful mural.

Colin Ash, property owner at 114 North 6^th St., is in the latter group.

After being inspired by the development on 6^th street, Ash was interested in having a mural painted. He reached out to the Public Art Commission to get the ball rolling.

“One of the key reasons the Art Commission is involved is Quincy does not have a city code that really covers a mural, so it falls under our sign code,” said Quincy City Planning Director Jason Parrott. “A sign would only be allowed for 5% of [the wall], and obviously they’re planning on filling the entire wall.” The Art Commission can authorize public art and request that the city council waives the section to the sign code for the mural to be painted.

This is what happened at Monday’s City Council meeting. The Council unanimously passed a resolution waiving the sign code to allow the painting of the mural.

Parrott mentioned there is a possibility for a new mural code in the future.

Maggie Strong, who chairs the Public Art Commission, hopes that Ash can be a test case for other local property owners who want to support public art, she hopes they will find out “what we could do as a commission to be supportive of more public art.” Their job is to coordinate the project: first putting out a call to artists, then working with the city for approval, and finally helping Ash get the building prepped.

“The point of the public art commission really is to get Quincy excited about public art and enhance and promote more of it,” Strong said.

“There’s a lot of people who may want to have public art somewhere [on their property,]” said Parrott. “And they don’t really have a place to start. The Public Arts Commission is a good place to start.”

Three artists submitted designs for the mural, and Ash got to choose his favorite.

“Ultimately it was my decision on which one to pick,” said Ash in a text. “But I shared the ideas with our business/building owners on 6^th to get their opinions also.”

Ash went with Jaycie Womack Spake, a local artist who has already painted around 30 murals. This will be Womack’s third on 6^th street: she has already painted at Quincy Brewing Company and Seoul 2 Soul.

“Oh my gosh, it’s my dream wall,” said Womack Spake of her new project. At 55 x 21 feet, she thinks it is her largest mural yet.

The mosaic design features the state of Illinois, the Illinois state flower (Common Blue Violet), the Bayview Bridge, and the word ‘Quincy’. Since moving back home after studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, Womack Spake has worked to help people love where they live.

“We’re a very small community, and I know that sometimes can be hard for people who like big cities, but I love everything about Quincy,” Womack Spake said.

The city is not funding the mural, but Maggie Strong is volunteering to assist Ash in raising the $17,000 necessary.

“I think it’s always important that we pay artists what they deserve, and that it’s a real job,” Strong said.

If citizens want to donate, they can send checks to the Community Foundation Board.

The mural is projected to be completed Spring 2026.