A new mural brightening downtown Pella has been completed. Ryan Bentizinger is a teaching artist in Iowa City and a Pella-native, and helped create a large painting on the wall of Int’Velds Meat Market in the Oost Poort Alley. Bentzinger says he and his family based in Pella spent close to 200 hours over the last several weeks completing a Dutch renaissance-inspired landscape.

“We thought Pella would appreciate a 17th Century Dutch renaissance style painting, and of course, I had my own little twist to it and made it more Iowa-like.”

He’s hopeful those in the community who enjoy the artwork will share that with city leaders, in an effort to inspire more artwork in Pella.

“I think art in general let’s people’s minds dream or they take you to another place, and I mean there’s digital art now and all that futuristic stuff, but there is something about a painting that always remains beautiful and romantic and just having that human energy, especially in more of a not as appealing place like an alley to really brighten it up,” he says. “I think there could be more [art] in the right spots.”

Bentzinger is returning to Pella for an artist’s reception in October.