Fancy florals: Rexburg business hires whimsical local artist for a bright and happy new mural
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REXBURG – When Marianne Weeks wanted to brighten up the exterior of her business, she knew just who to turn to: Mystical, magical, twirling muralist, Twyla Mahelona, who is known just as much for her whimsical sensibilities as she is for her serious art skills.
Weeks grew up at Rexburg Floral, the generational family business that she bought from her father, Bruce Sutherland, in 2021. Bruce bought it from his parents, Brent and Pearl Sutherland, in the late 1980s. The elder Sutherlands had owned and operated the flower shop since 1937, minus a hiatus during World War II when Brent served in the military.
It’s safe to say that Weeks and Rexburg Floral have solid roots in East Idaho, which is why Weeks wanted to brighten up her little corner of the community by hiring Mahelona to paint a bright floral mural on the north side of the building. It’s a high-traffic and highly visible part of town, and while the mural was only finished days ago, Weeks is already getting phone calls from community members expressing their appreciation for the beauty it adds to the area.
Weeks says she knew and loved Mahelona’s style from following her on Instagram for years, and she knew she wanted to turn artistic control over to the artist. As a floral artist herself, she says she does her best work when she’s given artistic freedom, so she wanted to offer the same to Mahelona, and she couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
“I told her, ‘I want bright, vibrant flowers. The rest is up to you,’” Weeks says.
Mahelona took that direction and ran with it. Or, rather, twirled with it. As a mother of all boys, Mahelona is intentional about celebrating her own femininity whether she’s at home or at work, and can often be found wearing elegant dresses and jewelry, even while she’s painting murals. This particular mural project really brought out Mahelona’s whimsical nature, as she shared videos on her Instagram of herself twirling in front of the art.
“The secret part about the process is that there’s this connection and energy that builds with the piece, and I feel like that energy stays with the piece,” she says. She hopes people who enjoy the art will take her lead in how they interact with the mural. She says nothing would make her happier than seeing others twirling among the flowers when they stop for a photo op.
Part of Mahelona’s artistic inspiration came from her desire to honor the way Weeks communicates with her community–through flowers with meaning.
“I needed to know the meaning behind every piece that I put in,” Mahelona says. “We are having a conversation with the community.”
She says the flowers represent the gamut of human emotion, just like the flowers sold on the inside of the building.
“Hope after a trial, or resilience during hard times, or utter joy or romance,” Mahelona says.
It’s a sentiment that Weeks echoes, reflecting on the emotional nature of running a flower shop and being there for the highs and lows of life.
Weeks says her main goal in commissioning the mural was simply to make people happy.
“I just love it,” she says. “My main thing is just to bring some beauty outside and make someone smile.”
Mahelona says public art is a gift to the community, and she expresses gratitude to Weeks for investing in Rexburg this way. She says she would love to see Rexburg covered in beautiful art.
“It takes a few brave businesses to start the trend,” Mahelona says. “I’m hoping it just starts a whole chain of businesses choosing to do the same thing. What would Rexburg be like with 100 murals?”
To see the mural for yourself, whether you’re in the mood for twirling or not, visit Rexburg Floral at 175 North Center Street in Rexburg.
