Photo courtesy of the Belleville Mural Project
The Belleville Mural Project is currently taking artist applications and will begin creating public in art in downtown Belleville, Illinois, this fall.
Belleville, Illinois, will soon welcome five new interactive murals to their downtown thanks to a proposal a few enthusiastic residents brought to the mayor—the Belleville Mural Project.
Project member and managing broker of Avenue Realty, Kathy Mordini noticed that the young couples purchasing homes in the area wished Belleville had more public art. “[The couples] embrace the downtown area because of the historic nature, and they’re interested in this becoming a hub for the arts in Southern Illinois,” Mordini says.
These new murals commissioned by the project will be "interactive:" ground-level paintings meant for visitors to take photos or videos in front of.
Paula Haniszewski, who has permanent artwork in Midtown's Angad Arts Hotel, will be completing a downtown mural with her husband Tom. “Public art satisfies a specific niche in that there are so many people that see it and they’re sort of forced to come in contact with it," Haniszewski says. "It gets people to want to remain in that area, and I think that’s a larger goal for us in the city of Belleville.”
She adds that whether people are renovating old houses or living in downtown lofts, she thinks the mural project will further the city's revitalization efforts already happening. "I think that it will impact that in a positive way."
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Photo courtesy of Belleville Mural Project
One of the open mural locations. Turned Treasures Gallery and School of Woodturning, 225 E Main St.
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Photo courtesy of Belleville Mural Project
One of the open mural locations. Complete Supplements, 111 S Jackson St.
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Photo courtesy of Belleville Mural Project
One of the open mural locations. 126 E Main St.
Each site went through zoning and then was then approved by the city council. To participate, artists must submit a sketch of their proposed mural, which is open until August 9. Each building's mural has a theme (including "Hello, Belleville,” “Get Up & GO," geometric shapes, the forest, and nature) and a set of criteria (colorful, not political, and pro-Belleville, among others) for artists to follow. At press time, the building owners and project committee were still looking for artists to complete murals on the final three buildings: The Turned Treasures building, the Complete Supplements building, and the back of 126 E. Main. In addition to compensation for all artists, the city will offer housing for muralists from out-of-town. “They are welcomed and it’ll give them an opportunity to show off their talents and their capabilities," Mordini says.
All of the murals will be installed between September 20 and October 12, and residents are encouraged to come and watch.
“We are an art community and it’s the next step to support our artists and the direction the residents want for this community,” Mordini says. “We would love to have people come in the community and see this all come to life.”
