Mural mural on the wall...

The mural at McKinley high school is underway. After weeks of preparation (see background), artist Augustina Droze has begun to paint the massive work of art that will eventually portray the parks within the Olmsted Parks System. I was fortunate enough to run into Augustina yesterday morning as she was preparing to go over the process of painting a mural with a Buffalo State College class called Public Art and Murals. Professor Philip Ogle, Chair of the Fine Arts Department, was going over the guidelines before allowing his students to help work on the wall. I was surprised to learn that commissioned muralists often let students help with projects in order to give the students the experience they need to work on their own large-scale pieces. After all, it's not every day that one has the chance to help paint a 265' wall.

The design of this public work of art incorporates a number of facets, including collaboration with local schools and non-profits. Once the work is complete, Olmsted Parks Conservancy has agreed to perform the necessary landscaping that will tie in with the artwork. By systematically planting along the base of the wall, the flora will eventually become a part of the mural. In order to combat vandals, four coats of graffiti-proof epoxy will be added, giving the wall a surface that will be fairly easy to 'wipe down'. Augustina is hoping to have the mural wrapped up by the end of July.