When former Jefferson Elementary art teacher Susan VandeHaar learned that a brightly colored mural created by a well-known artist and featuring literary characters had been painted over at the school, she burst into tears. At the Sept. 24, 2024, Des Moines School Board meeting, VandeHaar asked that a process be established to document the district's art collection and make sure it isn't lost. "I just wanted them to be mindful of 'What else do we have here that we might want to think about?'" she said of going to the board. VandeHaar and others hope the information can be used to make a public database of the works and create a system to alert officials when a piece of art needs to be removed, painted over or any number of scenarios. That would allow the piece to be documented ahead of time. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #IAed #DMPS #DesMoines