Visit Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau has launched a new free digital public art pass called Off the Wall, inviting both visitors and residents to explore Fairfield’s murals, sculptures, mosaics, and other public art through a self-guided experience, according to a press release from the organization.
The mobile-friendly pass guides participants to public art locations throughout Fairfield, encouraging them to check in at stops, discover the stories behind the works, take photos, and explore parts of the community they might otherwise pass by. No app download is required — participants can access the pass directly on their phones through VisitFairfieldIowa.com. Every check-in earns points that can be redeemed for prizes created especially for the Off the Wall experience, including an “Emergency Art Kit” — a playful collection of supplies for moments when creativity cannot wait — and a limited-edition poster featuring the colorful mural at the Second Street underpass, designed by Fairfield artist Jenny Sammons. Participants can tackle the tour however they like, completing a few stops over lunch, making an afternoon of it, or slowly collecting points over multiple outings.
Visit Fairfield Executive Director Terry Baker said the pass is designed to help people see Fairfield differently. “Public art is one of those things that makes Fairfield feel like Fairfield,” Baker said. “But even people who have lived here for years may not realize how much of it we have or stop to really look at it. Off the Wall gives people a reason to wander a little, notice more and discover something unexpected.”
Baker said the goal goes beyond simply getting people to look at murals. “The goal isn’t simply to get someone to look at a mural,” she said. “It’s to get people exploring Fairfield. When someone spends another hour or two walking around town, they are also more likely to discover a shop, stop at a restaurant, attend an event or decide there is more here they want to come back and experience.”
While Off the Wall was developed as a tourism experience, Visit Fairfield intentionally designed the pass to appeal to residents as well. Baker said locals are among a community’s most important tourism ambassadors, and the pass creates an easy, low-cost activity for families, friends, couples, and individuals looking for something different to do around town. “We want tourism development to make Fairfield a better place to visit, but also a more interesting place to live,” Baker said. “Those two things are very connected. The experiences visitors enjoy are often the same things that contribute to the vibrancy and quality of life residents value.”
Off the Wall is part of Visit Fairfield’s broader effort to turn the community’s existing assets into experiences that are easier for visitors to discover and enjoy. Rather than relying solely on traditional attractions, the organization is packaging what makes Fairfield distinctive into experiences visitors can follow, explore, and share. “There are a lot of things here that don’t necessarily reveal themselves from the highway or in a quick drive through town,” Baker said. “Fairfield rewards curiosity. Sometimes you have to turn the corner, walk down the block or ask, ‘What’s over there?’ That sense of discovery is something we want to build into more of our visitor experiences.”
Off the Wall is free to participate in and available now at VisitFairfieldIowa.com.
