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Ashby mural a community project
Published 10:43am Tuesday, August 30, 2011The pride of Ashby is a mural in the heart of downtown. The theme is “The Good Life in Ashby….Our Home.”
“The mural was a community project, with materials bought and donated from the local community,” said Camille Schultz, Ashby Schools art instructor. “People from the community helped with the lumber, ordering special paint, transporting, priming, carpentry and hanging and presenting of the mural.”
Schultz said that many people helped by giving their ideas of what the good life in Ashby meant to them.
“This helped to form the layout of the mural,” she said. “The mural was part of a grant to the city of Ashby.”
There were 56 artists ages one though 88 who either drew or painted on the mural, located on the west side of JC’s Grocery. Several of the artists spent over 100 hours. Artists were all from Ashby.
“We received the grant in February,” said Schultz “We had several meetings and came up with thumbnail sketches of ideas in April. We laid out the plan from group input in April and May, and put on the first strokes of paint in May.”
The unveiling of the mural took place during Ashby Appreciation Days on July 16 ,with the paint still wet, and when more than 100 people attended. The unveiling is on You Tube. Go to City of Ashby and hit mural. It lasts six minutes. The video includes Mayor Tom Grover, Schultz and others.
The artists had missed one very important part of Ashby being represented. This was added by Schultz on Friday, Aug. 26. Final strong varnish is being placed on the mural this week.
“We wanted to leave a legacy for Ashby for as long as it lasts,” said Schultz. “We appreciate the Arts Legacy grant for providing the funds to allow us to come together as a community to create something we can call our own.”
The mural was made possible by the Arts Legacy Grant from the Clean Land and Waters Act approved by Minnesota voters in the 2008 election.
