A colorful mural now adorns the west facing exterior wall of the Waunakee Furniture ETC building on Main Street, and when the work on it is completed, it should last for decades to come.
Alicia Real and Emida Roller of Dane Arts Mural Arts spoke to the Waunakee Rotary Club about the Waunakee mural and their work in general.
Todd Schmidt said he and Waunakee Furniture owner Sandy Taylor had talked for several years about “how great it would be to have a mural” in Waunakee.
When he learned about Dane Arts Mural Arts, he and Sandy pursued the idea.
Alicia and Emida are the hands-on part of DAMA. They work with at-risk high school youth on the murals throughout Dane County
Alicia said the Waunakee mural design process began in December or January. Todd and Sandy presented her with a general theme for the work – turn of the century Main Street.
Alicia went home with a huge staff of references and came up with four or five options before, with their feedback, arriving at the final design in March.
Alicia and Emida then brought the materials to the high school atrium, the school’s former entrance, and students painted when they had time over a period of two days.
The murals are painted on sheets of fabric called Polytab, then glued to the wall. A protective coat is then added afterwards.
Alicia and Emida showed a video of the process with the Prairie Phoenix Academy in Sun Prairie, where they painted a mural on the concessions stand at Fireman’s Park.
“Kids have their hands in every single stage of the process,” Alicia said. “It’s really fun to gain their trust and have them involved in something in the community they can really take pride in.”
The murals mean a lot for alternative high school students, who often don’t have access to these sorts of art projects.
Alicia said they also add value to a community.
“Murals in communities are place-makers; they’re points of pride and points in history,” she said.
She added that she likes public art because it is free, ideally, fits in well with a community and involves public input.
“It just make people smile,” she said.

 

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Rotarians also gave committee reports at the meeting, as follows:
•June 9 is a tentative date for a goodbye party for Bianca.
•The club received a district grant for a water project in Kenya that will extend water from Soar Academy to a neighboring community.
•A new recording secretary will be needed on the Rotary Board.
•The club may plan a trip to a Mallards game if the members are interested, Bob Klostermann said.

 

Other News:
–President Travis Heiser said the club donated $500 to Polio Plus.  
– Also he reported that club now has 92 members.
– Phil Willems reported that the club received a check for $2,292.54 for the Whitetails fundraiser.  

 

Guests: Alissa Martin, guest of Linda Olson; Liz Deihs, guest of Allison Feldbruegge.

 

Visiting Rotarians: None

 

Birthdays: None.

 

Anniversaries: None.

 

Programs: June 8, Maggie Porter Kratz, YWCA, and scholarship winners to speak.  

 

Greeters: June 8, Connie Blau and Michael Blodgett; June 15, Jonny Buroker and Kathy Cefalu; June 22, Tasha Chambers and Scott Cochems.