John Badman|The Telegraph Alton’s latest mural, painted on the intersection of State and 3rd streets, is beginning to show wear after just three months. The Alton Ripple by Chicago artist Joe Miller was expected to last a decade or more before needing maintenance.
John Badman
ALTON — Alton’s first roadway mural has not fared well.
The Alton Ripple, painted on the roadway at the intersection of State and 3rd streets in downtown Alton, is beginning to show wear where the rubber meets the road. A portion of the mural, created by Chicago artist Joe Miller, has worn completely off where vehicle tires cross it the most.
The work, completed just over three months ago, was expected to last a decade or more before needing maintenance.
Miller, a Staunton area native who attended Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, completed the circular rings on the Alton pavement in late September.
Despite cleaning and preparing the pavement before painting, tire rubber and Mother Nature are taking their toll on the artwork.
Miller received his Master of Fine Arts degree in 2008 from the University of Chicago. He has completed numerous wall murals around Chicago and came to the attention of Alton Main Street, which sponsored The Alton Ripple project last fall.