New London murals offer inspirational message
By John Faucher
“This is a time we all could use a little encouragement,” said Season Polsin to her 11-year old daughter Isla Van and 5-year-old granddaughter Aniya Brogaard Saturday, March 21.
The three were carrying a box full of colored chalk towards a concrete wall downtown at Hilker Warehousing next to one of the city’s busiest intersections.
“This is a real high traffic area,” said Polsin.
They were there to leave a message of encouragement.
Within an hour or two a multi-colored chalk message appeared on the grey concrete wall.
“Distance Gives Us a Reason to Love Harder,” the message reads.
“Color makes people happy,” said Polsin.
Last fall, she and members of the Wolf River Art League initiated a city wide campaign to introduce and paint murals in numerous locations across downtown New London.
The project began with one mural on the large exterior South wall at Amazing Low Prices Furniture Store in September.
Since then, the group has organized 38 different artists, and received approval to paint over 40 of them this year.
In mid-February Polsin updated the New London Chamber of Commerce Down-Town Sub-Committee on the groups 2020 plans for art downtown.
“We have 43 murals pending approval by the planning commission,” Polsin told the committee.
A handful of murals were painted on panels over the winter months and have already made their way into store front windows and on the sides of some buildings around town.
Moving forward
The planning commission approved 38 of the 43 designs at its Feb. 27 meeting.
Five days later four murals were hung from large picture windows in buildings next to Jolly Rogers Pizzeria on North Water Street.
A week ago Polsin and her husband Kelly were seen standing on ladders in the rain hanging a colorful exterior mural on the West wall of the Easy Street Bar and Grill on North Water Street.
“We’re planning a big push of artists working on their Murals from May 1 to May 20,” Season Polsin told the Down Town Sub-Committee.
“We will use several job trailers to work from and supply artists simultaneously working on their murals at locations around town,” Polsin said.
“Because of the logistics to set it up and keep everyone supplied centrally we will ask muralists to finish projects in a timely fashion.”
Polsin said the concrete wall they were chalking Saturday will also have a special purpose in future plans.
The WRAL is planning to build a little chalk house along the wall similar to the “Little Free Library” houses in communities. The house will be stocked with chalk and community members will be allowed to share chalk art along the wall.
“It’ll be like a big community chalk board,” said Polsin.
“It’s such a long wall out in the open and there is a lot of traffic.”
Polsin said many motorists honked their horns and gave them thumbs up on Saturday as they colored the wall.
“People were excited to read it and see us out there with some color,” she said.
One gentleman even stopped and gave them gift cards for the Dairy Queen.
“I thought that was really nice of him and the kids loved it. There’s nothing that isn’t happy about colorful things,” said Polsin.
“We’re really excited about the painting season getting closer and we’re grateful for the overwhelming support from the business community in town,” she said.