Solidarity Mural

Solidarity Mural at Five Flags Civic Center

About the Mural

In 2020, the City of Dubuque was approached by Voices Productions and local artist Shelby Fry to create the Solidarity Mural. City Manager Michael C. Van Milligen approved the design for installation on the east side of the Five Flags Civic Center on Main Street in downtown Dubuque.

The mural serves as a visual statement of Dubuque’s commitment to building a welcoming community where all residents have the opportunity to thrive. Painted over six days—with one additional day for outlining the design—more than 75 community volunteers participated in one-hour shifts, painting side-by-side up to 35 feet in the air on this 105-foot-wide, 25-foot-tall paint-by-number artwork.

Download a printable, legal-sized information guide, (in English and Spanish) featuring a description of the mural's meaning and significance of the letters and symbols used to spell SOLIDARITY, along with a list of volunteers and major supporters.

Solidarity Mural YouTube Screenshot

Significance of the Mural's Letters and Symbols

  • S = Decorative only.
  • O = Formed by the wheel of a stylized version of the International Symbol for Access, intended to acknowledge cognitive and physical disabilities.
  • L = Decorative only with font choice referring to Dubuque’s diverse college programs.
  • I = The semicolon, especially as a tattoo on the wrist, has come to serve as message of affirmation and solidarity in the awareness and prevention of suicide, depression, addiction, and other brain health issues.
  • D = The rainbow, turned on its side to form the ‘D’ intends to represent the LGBTQ+ community.
  • A = Decorative only.
  • R = Decorative only.
  • I = The heart, as a universal symbol for love, dots the I to incorporate love, positivity, and respect for all humans in the mural design. The staff of the I is a decorative font only.
  • T = Decorative only.
  • Y = Combining the symbols traditional used to represent male, female, and transgender, the Y intends to acknowledge all identifications along the gender spectrum.