muralMANIA was alive and kicking during Peppermint Days 2007. Two murals were being painted at the same time. The mural "Street of Dreams" was temporarily brought to downtown Lyons, so the crowd could see James(artist) doing his magic. This mural will be finished sometime in August and will have a dedication soon after......I will have the dedication date and other information posted as soon as I know.
The second mural "A Window in Time" worked on by Corky Goss and Chip Miller is about finished. It is the new face of Dobbins Drugs and looks incredible. The front of the store used to be painted stucco and looked nothing like the historic buildings second floor, which is all brick. Corky and Chip brought that historic look down by painting bricks and cement posts. This brick and cement post painting looks so real and is three-dimensional that people are coming up to it and touching it thinking real bricks would be there....SURPRISE. They also painted a large window that shows three generations of Pharmacist's working inside along with shelving and a boy raiding gumball machine. It's as though your actually looking in a window. This is a must see so head down to Dobbins Drugs, it will be worth the trip.
We've also just learned that Corky and Chip have been hired to do a mural on the side of the Mitchell Dentist Building in downtown Lyons. They will be starting this after they do another mural in Syracuse.
Mark and I will be working very hard to find potential mural locations. We want James, Corky and Chip to stick around for a long time. We also have another project that we're considering that would honor the military. I will explain in my next blog.
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“What is Mural Mania?” Born in Lyons, NY, the phrase was coined, “The Preservation of History through Community Art.” The goal is to cover the walls of Lyons with high quality historical art work. The original mural, “Welcome to Lyons” was painted in 1990. In November a grassroots movement began to construct and paint what is now “Winston’s Dream,” which depicts the canal in Lyons circa 1910 sits near Lock 27 in the newly dedicated Dobbins Memorial Park.
“Street of Dreams,” views of early century Lyons, will be mounted on William Street, by September. Professional muralists have been commissioned. The first, a jaw dropping representation of an “Old Time Pharmacy” has caused many to stop in their tracks to watch. The next will be across the street on a local dentist’s office.
People in Lyons have been inspired to take pride in their history, and more murals are in the works. With the restoration of the Lyons Town Clock another gem is added to the treasure chest we proudly call Lyons.
Mural Mania has received enormous media coverage, catching the eye of public officials on all levels. Visitors to Lyons ask to see the murals. This past week 500 bikers pedaled through Lyons on the annual Canal Trek. More than 250 stopped to see the murals. The Director for Revitalization and Economic Development for Seattle was one who was inordinately impressed, and assured me it would lead to downtown revitalization. Most of those bikers made purchases. A little known secret is many tourists pass through yearly on the canal trail. Mural Mania gives them reason to stop.
Continuing collective efforts of the Wayne County Historical Society, The Lyons Heritage Society, and the Lyons Civic Club, will once again make Upstate New York a major player. Our visitors have a memory that will last forever. Come see what we have begun. Let the mania continue.
Mark De Cracker,
President, Lyons Chamber of Commerce
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