NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 11, 2018
CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
CHOICE, Unlimited artists donate mural to St. Louis County
Artists from CHOICE, unlimited have created a mural depicting a Lake Superior scene, and will donate it to St. Louis County during the County Board meeting on June 12, at 9:30 a.m. More than a dozen artists of all skill levels worked on the painting, and many of them will be on hand to present the painting.
The mural measures eight feet in width and depicts a scene that many people will relate to: it shows two people looking out at Lake Superior as a ship travels in the distance and seagulls hover nearby. According to the artists' statement, "Artists at CHOICE, unlimited wanted to create a vision of the heart of Duluth, our beloved Lake Superior. Viewers are invited to join the subjects in the painting as they gaze out into the horizon of the lake, and scan the rocky beach around them for hidden agates."
Lead artist Maria Brown consulted with the other artists at CHOICE, unlimited on overall design and placement of each object in the piece, using processes of measuring and masking, learning distinct brushstrokes, creating stencils, and other useful tools and effects.
The project is a year in the making. Last summer, CHOICE, unlimited reached out to Gena Bossert, Adult Services Division Director for St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services, to ask if the County would be interested in a mural created by some of the adults they serve. After securing an appropriate location to display the mural, Bossert said yes.
"I'm impressed with the beauty of the mural and how well it represents our community," said Bossert. "I appreciate the talent of these artists, and their generosity that they would donate their artwork to us so that we can display it for all passersby to see."
The mural will be hung on the first floor of the Government Services Center, just outside the WIC Office. That location is part of the skywalk system. An estimated 12-15,000 people pass by it each month, and will now be able to see the mural.
CHOICE, unlimited is a non-profit organization in Duluth that is dedicated to supporting adults with disabilities and individuals who are experiencing barriers to employment and community inclusion.
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