Saturday, April 21, 2007
Intro to LyonsMuralMania.com
The purpose of this website is to allow for news and information updates on the Lyons, NY community mural program. Initiated by the Lyons Chamber of Commerce, the project has taken off and a brand new mural is scheduled to be unveiled on location later this very morning.
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2 comments:
To the Lyons Community,
You are very fortunate to have so many people who care about history, the Erie Canal, and each other. I am very impressed with the energy and passion I observed when visiting Lyons to see the mural in progress. Mark DeCracker and his loyal crew have the ability to make things happen....and they did.
I have a feeling that it is only the beginning.....
Lori Skoog
Art Walks On Water Project
Put history on walls
Thursday April 26, 2007
Helene Weaver
Regarding the April 12 article, City Seeks Public Art, about the installation of art in the square at the new city hall in Cambridge, I wish to report the experience of other cities in such a project.
Historical murals have received more praise than abstract art or sculptures. We travelled across Canada several times and were greatly impressed with the murals in several cities. The most successful was the small town of Chemainus on Vancouver Island. After its sole industry closed down in 1981 it faced a grim future. In 1994, we photographed 17 murals (and may have missed some). Every one of them depicted a segment of the town's history.
There was no abstract art. The project was written up in April-May 1985 Reader's Digest as The Little Town That Did. Tour buses started coming and enjoyed guided tours, shopped, dined and a new industry emerged: tourism. Other cities that have made good use of murals are Moose Jaw and Athens in eastern Ontario. Moose Jaw has over 20. Their themes were also historical; they are vibrant, colourful and meaningful.
Cambridge could do the same. We photographed the murals in these three centres and have a slide show devoted to them and also a list of the artists.
In the case of Chemainus, the town paid for the first three, the Federation of Canadian Artists volunteered the next ones, a historical society sponsored another, grants from governments and donations from companies and private donors paid the rest.
Helene Weaver
Cambridge
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