Haymarket Common has already gotten a major glow-up (as the kids say), but it's not quite finished. The Haymarket Common/Main Street Improvement project, which was one of many projects that leveraged American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds, included the work that was completed this summer in the former gravel lot. But it also designated $600 for the Arts Commission to create a mural on the blank concrete wall on the other end of the park.
Chair of the Arts Commission, Brian Chevalier, and member Michael Farmer, appeared before the Board of Selectman on Wednesday, September 6, to present a plan. Chevalier said that even though a mural of this size, roughly 261 square feet, would usually cost about $4,000, the Arts Commission thinks they can complete the project for the original $600 budget by doing the work themselves. The mural would be painted on plywood and applied to the wall using concrete anchors, making it easier to change in the future. The Arts Commission was seeking input and approval from the Selectmen, help from the Department of Public Works to hang the mural, and a possible staging area in the Staffordville School to give them the space to work on such a large mural. The goal, Chevalier says, is to have the mural in place by spring.
While the image above was designed by a previous Arts Commission member, the current mockup (below) is quite different.
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While all of the Selectman were happy to see the proposal for this otherwise blank wall, they also had printouts of existing murals in other towns and cities to draw on. Selectman Kurt Vail was keen on examples from Laurel, Mississippi, and San Francisco, California that use the space within the letters to depict local history, landmarks, and more. A quick Google will show just how popular this style of mural is in cities across the country.
The selectman ultimately voted to let the Arts Commission proceed. Though they said they could not guarantee access to the Staffordville School but would put Chevalier in touch with the right people to find a suitable workspace.