Artwork that captures the beauty of downtown Fort Dodge now display in the City Council meeting room at the Municipal Building has been selected as a finalist in a national mural competition.

The panoramic Fort Dodge mural is made up of a series of 15 photos taken by Justin Rogers, a professional photographer who graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High in 2003. Each high-resolution photo was stitched together to create the 32-foot-long by 4-foot-high skyline image on the back wall inside the City Council chambers.

The artwork submitted on behalf of the city of Fort Dodge is one of 11 entries selected as finalists for the Murals Your Way spring photo contest. The entries can be viewed on the Murals Your Way Facebook page.

The entry with the most likes on Facebook by midnight April 11 will be the winner. The prize for the contest winner is a $300 American Express gift card.

Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport. Chambers helped arrange for Rogers to take the series of photos used in the artwork from the rooftop of UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center. Chambers, her sister, Cathi Lensch, and her brother-in-law, Blaine Lensch, put up the art in the Municipal Building on Jan. 28.

According to Chambers, if the city of Fort Dodge wins the competition, the prize money will be used to help finish the artwork in the City Council chambers.

This outstanding photographic mural enhances our Municipal Building. The Messenger urges readers to show their support for this artwork. To vote, go to Murals Your Way Facebook page and find the Spring 2017 Photo Contest. The page can also be accessed from this link: www.facebook.com/MuralsYourWay/posts/10158419392990285.