The exterior of DeKalb City Hall is now home to a two-story mural celebrating belonging and dedicated last month. (City of DeKalb photo)

The DeKalb community recently gathered to celebrate the completion of a two-story mural created on the south wall of City Hall.

Joined by many of the over 200 volunteers who worked on the mosaic mural, artist Danielle Casali cut the ribbon on the project on Oct. 19.

Casali, a Master of Fine Arts recipient from Northern Illinois University who has completed mosaic projects across the region, was selected for the mural project by the Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission and City Council.

Using the theme of belonging and input from two community meetings, Casali created the mural’s design and then led its creation. Beginning in April, groups of volunteers worked several days a week in space provided by the DeKalb Public Library to cut thousands of pieces of glass and arrange them into mosaic panels.

After the panels were installed on City Hall, volunteers continued to assist Casali as she completed the painted portions of the mural and a large image of the Kishwaukee River made of pieces of mirror.

She began the design with a landscape composition suggesting rural farming and prairie landscape and then incorporated contemporary agriculture and DeKalb’s abundant community gardens.

The metaphor of a garden is full of possibilities: a vibrant, diverse garden that is well tended, where the roots are strong and plants and pollinators have a vital, interdependent relationship.

Creation of the mural was supported by a portion of a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant awarded to the Enhancement Commission for public art.