Downtown Port Washington selected for mosaic mural created by artists from across North America
Residents and visitors to downtown Port Washington will soon be able to take a glimpse at a new mosaic mural created by hundreds of artists across North America.
The 10-by-20-foot mural, located on the north wall of the Twisted Willow restaurant at 308 N. Franklin St., will be unveiled at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 6.
Port Washington was picked as the mural's home by the Canadian-based Mural Mosaic's Global Roots Project, a program installing tiled mosaics productions throughout North America. Executive Director of Port Main Street Inc. Kristina Tadeo told the project that Port Washington would be a perfect place for a Midwest project.
"We're right on Lake Michigan. I think it's pretty iconic, at least of the upper Midwest. We're also on the edge of really beautiful rolling farmlands that surround the city," said Tadeo.
Creation of the mural required 1,500 participants from the Midwest and throughout North America to paint a tile that represents their experience with the region.
Combined, the colorful tiles create a tree in autumn on a rolling hill. All of the murals created by the project are trees with roots, symbolizing the connection among people and cultures.
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The project could have selected any of the 11 states that are part of its Midwest region. "I kind of assumed it would go somewhere bigger like Chicago, but I'm so excited that they chose little Port Washington for this mural," said Tadeo.
Mural Mosaic has been creating mosaics across North America since 2003, according to its press release.
The unveiling of this mural will be the launch of a new program that'll bring more than 10 murals to Port Washington over the next three years, said Tadeo.
The project, led by Main Street and the city, is currently looking for proposals from artists to construct murals across Port Washington. Those interested in learning more can visit downtownport.com.
Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New mosaic-style mural coming to downtown Port Washington
