The completion of the Unity Mural was celebrated Tuesday.

Members of the Ames City Council, university officials and ISU students met Tuesday to observe the completion of the 8 -by-20-foot Unity Mural outside the main entrance of the College of Design.

The mural, entitled “Towards a Legacy,” illustrates the newly adopted “one community” theme between Iowa State and the City of Ames.

It serves as a symbol to all members of the greater Ames community of the interconnectedness of the university and the city, said Mark Engelbrecht, dean of the College of Design.

Terrell Robbins, senior in art and design and one of the project’s artists, said he agreed the mural will have a huge impact.

“The mural is a symbol of community on campus, and every time I walk by it, I think about all the time and energy that went into its creation,” Robbins said. “All the time I spent working on the project has definitely made me take the ‘one community’ theme more seriously.”

Ice cream was served at the event following brief speeches by Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, Government of the Student Body President Angela Groh and ISU President Gregory Geoffroy.

In her speech, Groh said the mural serves as a way to welcome all visitors and new students to Iowa State, as well as expressing the university’s commitment to improving relations between current Ames residents and ISU students.

Geoffroy said there was no better place for the new mural to be than at the College of Design, a building that embodies students’ tremendous talent, creativity and innovation.

At the event, Engelbrecht said Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco has been a primary advocate of building the “one community” theme.

“I am deeply affected by this mural,” Tedesco said. “Its place at the university is very important.”

The mural commemorates an ideal many community members and university officials have had in the past, and its presence on the ISU campus comes at a good time, Tedesco said.

The mural, painted on concrete, took 10 weeks to complete.