Iggy Igloo – Jonathan Ellis – Memorial Mural Project in Manitou Springs

On June 1st, 2021, we lost a beloved member of our community. Iggy Igloo was a magical and treasured humanitarian, activist and musician. Iggy’s legacy and spirit are an inspiration to the culture of the Manitou Springs arts community, who are profoundly mourning the loss of this irreplaceable man. We want to provide a mural space in our community to honor his memory and carry on his message.

The location of the Iggy Igloo Memorial Mural was determined with PARAB; it will be located in Memorial Park, in Manitou Springs, on the portion of the retaining wall running along fountain creek, just below the cog train engine. Throughout this process, we worked closely with the Manitou Springs Parks & Recreation Board (PARAB), The Manitou Art Center and The Creative District of Manitou Springs. This mural is made possible by you, the community; Iggy’s family and friends. The mural is funded by both MACH Manitou and the Peak Arts Council MicroGrant. We are now asking for your vote on which design you would like to see in honoring our beloved community member, Iggy Igloo.

Iggy was incredibly proud of his community, Manitou Springs. He was an active protector of the environment, here in Manitou and across the world. Iggy spent over a year protesting the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipeline at Standing Rock, which was canceled by TC Energy on June 9th, just one day prior to his memorial service. Iggy was very proud of his participation in cleaning up Fountain Creek after the flood in 2013, and particularly of helping his fellow artist, Charles Rockey. These events are recounted in Iggy’s song, “Floodwaters,” from his album, You Are Not Alone.

Of all of Iggy’s messages, “You Are Not Alone” really struck a lot of people’s chords during the pandemic. It is a message similar in simplicity to John Lennon’s “Imagine”; but through the simplicity of this message there is deep truth and connectivity that becomes availabl to many of all ages. The message is not hard to understand, but it strikes a chord for anyone that has been through this pandemic, or has experienced personal struggles within their life.

As a musician, Iggy self-released over 15 albums of original music. In 2019, The Colorado Springs Independent wrote that, “if you’ve heard the music of local fixture Iggy Igloo, you’ll know it’s a sound that can’t be easily categorized,” and continued to praise his deeply personal and poetic lyrics, which “frequently explore issues of social and spiritual concern.” Iggy was also a Radio DJ, hosting the popular “Planet Groove” show on KRCC, for several years. He self-published a book of poetry, and left behind enough unpublished material for several more. After the passing of Vincent Van Gogh, his brother Theo worked to create the artistic legacy that we have come to know. In a similar fashion, Iggy’s work is currently being archived and plans for new releases are currently underway.

Historically, Manitou is known as a place of healing. Through his own sobriety, Iggy encouraged others to heal with art and music. He brought light and levity, even to the darkest of places. Although Iggy is gone, his light should still be found here. It is through this mural project, as a community, we are honoring Iggy, his principles, the environment, and our arts community.

There are three similar designs. The plan for each is a black & white, stencil style portrait of Iggy, his saying “you are not alone”, and a monochromatic or colorful background. The black and white stencil-style portraits of Iggy come from the cover of his album “IGLU.” and his single “Fly to You”. Original photos by Liz Copan. Her website is https://www.elizabethcopan.com.

This community vote will determine which design is painted! Please note that the mural will be hand-painted and there may be some variation. Thank you for your participation & your vote. Vote here through July 17, 2022.