A non-profit organization in Newton has made a large donation to the Legacy Plaza Greenspace project at the Newton DMACC Campus. The Iowa Sculpture Festival has presented the DMACC Foundation a $50,000 check toward the feature sculpture at what DMACC and Newton City officials are calling a new community gathering space. The $4 million Legacy Plaza Greenspace project will include a walking path, artwork and pavilion, and other features.

Board Chairman of the Centre for Arts and Artists and Iowa Sculpture Festival in Newton Jack Topp said the $50,000 donation follows the non-profit’s tradition of celebrating sculpture as the ultimate art form. Since its founding in 2003, Topp says the Iowa Sculpture Festival has been supporting artists and art education in Newton. He adds DMACC and the Iowa Sculpture Festival have enjoyed a supportive relationship, with DMACC having hosted several Iowa Sculpture Festival events over the years.

Located where the Maytag Plant One production facility once stood, the Newton Legacy Plaza Greenspace will be the centerpiece of the DMACC Newton Campus. It will connect the five acres on the east side of Buildings 1 and 2 on campus to the adjacent Legacy Plaza, with a walking path surrounded by natural vegetation and shade trees.