Aboriginal Art-Style ‘Rivers’ Mural Taking Final Form at Owen Park
community members can also be part of another mural through The More Than a Mural Project
McKenna Scherer, photos by Ma Vue |
Likely to reach the finish line by next week, the vibrant new mural at Owen Park, ‘Rivers,’ has been taking form since early August with the help from many passersby.
Inspired by its namesake and the writings of local author John Hildebrand, the Public Painting Project launched the public art effort on Aug. 9, largely under the leadership of Jo Ellen Burke and painters Jessica Bland and Justin Danforth. The mural also takes inspiration from Eau Claire’s sister city, Lismore, Australia, and is stylistically inspired by Aboriginal art.
At about 12:30pm on Friday, Sept. 13, community members gathered around the mural, aptly placed near the bank of the Chippewa River, where Hildebrand arrived via canoe. Walking up to the mural after “parking,” Hildebrand said he enjoyed how bright the mural was turning out, Burke adding that people have said they can see it from afar while passing the park.
With permission from the author, quotes from his book The Long Way Round: Through the Heartland by River are incorporated into the mural. “All rivers are connected. There’s some comfort in knowing if you live by a river, the wide world lives just downstream,” it currently reads. (Upon completion, the mural will also include, “Rivers aren’t walls, they don’t divide, they connect.”)
“I think it’s perfectly placed,” Hildebrand said as folks gathered in front of the small building encircled by the mural. The artwork is close to the park’s playground, which is frequented by many families and kids who can immediately connect the mural to the flowing river nearby.
During the mural’s creation over the past few weeks, people came up to the painters to view or comment on the work. More than 120 of these visitors were invited to made their mark on the mural, whether placing a stroke here or completing a dot there.
The Aboriginal art-inspired painting utilizes circles and dots. Purposefully, Burke explained, those shapes reference gathering and community, and the point of creating “Rivers” was just that: the community.
The mural received approval from the city, but not financial support. Thus money is being raised for all materials, permits, and insurance. The Public Painting Project’s fundraising for the mural is ongoing, and is currently about halfway to its goal of $26,000, on GoFundMe.
Joe Maurer, a member of the city’s Waterways and Parks Commission and a local artist, attended the mural gathering. “I’m enamored by it,” he said, adding that of the many murals Eau Claire is now home to, “Rivers” feels truly about and for the city.
More Than a Mural Project
Burke and Maurer also encouraged people to attend the upcoming Fall Festival, hosted annually by DECI throughout downtown Eau Claire, where another mural project would be tabling. The More Than a Mural Project will not only engage with the community, but requires involvement from its community members on a large scale.
The More Than a Mural Project will hold its first official mural design meeting on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 2-4pm on the second floor of the Menomonie Market Food Co-op in downtown Eau Claire. The meeting hopes to gather many community members to offer their ideas and input on what the mural will look like.
The project – which has been in the works since 2023 – will be created by the community, headed by local Gabe Brummett, with support from renowned muralist Dave Loewenstein (who will be at the Sept. 15 meeting). The mural will be placed on the Artboxx Suites building (419 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire), and will aim to tell a story about Eau Claire based on interviews Loewenstein will conduct with locals, bits of the city’s history, and the involvement of community members.
Learn more about and keep up with The More Than a Mural Project on Facebook and Instagram.
