Burr Oak mural helps make small-town America a destination

Rosalie Currier, Sturgis Journal
·2 min read

Heidi Wolfe arrived in St. Joseph County about four years ago. She was hired as an art teacher.

Since then, Wolfe has flourished in her passion for painting murals and signs.

Wednesday was her last day as an art teacher. Wolfe is moving to her next full-time occupation — a mural and sign painter.

Her latest project is in downtown Burr Oak on the south side of the police station.

It’s a work in progress and on Tuesday and Wednesday, Wolfe’s high school art students were working on it. She will finish after school is out.

Of all the historical tidbits of the 170-year-old village, Wolfe likes the fact that it’s half way between Chicago and Detroit, also noted by Halfway Road, the main road heading into the village from U.S. 12.

That fact, in vintage sign-painting style, is included in her mural, which also gives a "hooray" to small-town America.

But it’s not Wolfe’s only mark on the village. Another mural on the side of the school was student-drawn and painted in 2021— entirely a student creation, under her direction.

Along with her love of painting murals, Wolfe likes to promote small towns.

“I have a heart for small-town America,” she said. “You have to make small towns a destination."

One way is to paint community murals and store fronts: to make a sign worth going to see like the one Wolfe painted on the window of Serenity Salon & Spa in Burr Oak. In gold and black, it’s a work of art.

She recently finished a sign for Ana Rose Photography, also downtown, which soon will be mounted.

Later this month, Wolfe will be in Mendon working on a project for Main Street Smokehouse, opening soon on the river.

For that project, she hired Bob Behoenik of Chicago Brushmasters to be her tutor.

There is a movement to save the trade of sign painters, a group with which Wolfe is involved.

That's along with her own movement to save small towns. Because of her passion, community leaders seek her out.

In the case of Burr Oak, they saw her work in Sturgis and were impressed.

“We let her take the lead,” said Alice Munoz, village mayor. “I think she did a really great job and I’m real happy she brought students up to paint it.”

But first Wolfe spent Sunday night drawing it on the side of the building, Munoz said.

Burr Oak students Aiden Calvert, Grant Brooks, Hannah Greene and Lilly Holton with their teacher and muralist, Heidi Wolfe.
Burr Oak students Aiden Calvert, Grant Brooks, Hannah Greene and Lilly Holton with their teacher and muralist, Heidi Wolfe.
The drawing of what will be a mural in downtown Burr Oak.
The drawing of what will be a mural in downtown Burr Oak.
Burr Oak art student Hannah Greene and her classmates spent time the last two days of school helping to paint the mural by Heidi Wolfe going up in the village.
Burr Oak art student Hannah Greene and her classmates spent time the last two days of school helping to paint the mural by Heidi Wolfe going up in the village.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Burr Oak mural helping make small town America a destination