New Mural Coming to Downtown, You Can Participate!

Kristina RamseyNews

GoBV in partnership with the City of Buena Vista is bringing a mural to downtown BV, and Benjamin Frey has been selected to create a painting that combines the natural beauty of the landscape with the strength of the community itself. It will be a night-scene of Buena Vista, using hand prints from local kids to create a starlit night sky. He is inviting school classes and other community groups to create hand prints for the sky.

Who can participate?
Any group that identifies with the Buena Vista community, is welcome to participate, even ones that might involve non-residents. Groups are welcome to make the prints with teenagers, young kids, and even toddlers if the parents feel inspired to help.

How will it work?
The prints will be made using shades of white and blue (kid-safe) paint on blue-painted paper (like stars against a night sky – and of course our town colors). Participants can choose to make one print, or several, either isolated on the paper paper, or overlapping each other, and those of other participants. More detailed instructions will be given to each group.

In the end all the various prints from the groups will be brought together into the sky by pasting the individual papers together into one large scene. Just like stars in the sky, some prints may be pasted close together and even overlap others, and some will be more distinct. The goal is not for kids to be able to walk up and see one print as their own, but to have the joy of knowing that they contributed to making a greater whole.

Design for the Mural

More Details:

  • It is free to participate : the cost of materials is covered by the mural grant.
  • Please be ready to participate between November and January. These are necessary before other aspects of the painting can be completed.
  • The artist has chosen specific colors and will distribute paint and papers to each group. Each group can complete the hand prints on their own schedule , either together as a group in their own space or by handing out the materials to the kids so they can make the prints at home. As Covid-19 poses a risk to the community, groups are asked to follow public health guidance for this project , and should either allow for appropriate social distance between participants, or allow participants to complete the prints at home.
  • Groups will paint night-sky blue onto the paper , then make the hand print in a shade of white/blue over this. Depending on the age of the group, the coordinator may wish to prepare some aspects in advance.
  • Options for returning completed hand prints and extra materials will be provided to each group along with the initial materials. A general drop-off location will be provided, and for larger groups such as classes the artist may also be able to pick up the prints and materials.
  • The idea is not to create a “Hollywood Walk” of separate prints that each can be identified individually, but rather to reflect the togetherness of the community and the identity that is formed when many individuals make up one community . The sky of this mural will therefore be made from constellations of many individual prints layered together to create a whole. These hand prints are building blocks that will help make the whole sky. Not every print will necessarily fit onto the final surface but the goal is to use something from everyone; the prints themselves will be cut out, combined together and sometimes painted on so the whole scene blends together and creates “constellations” in the night sky scene.
  • Most kids will understand this easily, but group coordinators may want, depending on the age of the participants, to explain to participants that “their hand print” will not necessarily be fully identifiable in the whole scene. Participants are of course welcome to make several prints and keep a favorite hand print as a souvenir.
  • The finished mural will be painted on wood and is designed to be 20 feet long. It will be installed at 133 w. 21St Street (across from the library) sometime in the spring of 2021.

To request materials for participation:

Scan the Following QR Code with your iPhone camera or Android QR reader app or visit www.BenjaminFrey.com/Mural.

Please contact GoBV with general questions about this Mural :

https://www. GoToBV .com | GoToBV@gmail.com | 540-404-1403