ART FOR ALL. River Falls-based artist Dena Young recently finished downtown Eau Claire's newest mural, adorning the Big Brothers Big Sisters' building at 424 Galloway St. The mural, a collaboration between the area nonprofit and ColorBlock Eau Claire — and sponsored by Scheels — embodies the phrase, "Big moments, little by little."

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin has unveiled a new visual art display on the previously blank slate alongside its downtown Eau Claire building.

The new artwork — like a cocoon protecting a growing caterpillar — draws inspiration from the nonprofit's guiding mission: “to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ (424 Galloway St., Eau Claire) new mural was determined through an open call by Visit Eau Claire and a division of Eau Claire’s Sculpture Tour, ColorBlock Eau Claire, Julie Pangallo said.

Julie, executive director of Sculpture Tour Eau Claire, said her team reached out to past participants from the ColorBlock Eau Claire project and invited those who submitted to create new, visual representations of the Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission and vision.

Dena Young, founder of Dena June Creations based in River Falls, Wisc., was ultimately chosen amongst a number of regional submissions to illustrate and paint the mural for the nonprofit.

"My favorite projects to do are big, bold murals for communities," Dena said when asked about the call to submit artwork for this project. "I like that people can enjoy visual art on a daily basis; I get so many wonderful compliments from people, saying how much they appreciate what art can do for a community." 

“(The mural) adds some vibrancy to that part of town,” Julie Pangallo, executive director of Sculpture Tour Eau Claire, said. “It’s my hope that (the mural) would bring attention to the organization and maybe help with recruiting some more big brothers and big sisters.”

Each panel depicts an interaction between “a big and a little,” she said. The sequence illustrates both the transformative and metaphoric relationships the two, and between caterpillars and butterflies.

“Butterflies are a little bit of my signature,” Dena said. “I like to try to incorporate them in most of my pieces; I just thought it was such a beautiful transition for the whole piece (and) to kind of put it all together.”

The mural’s central statement, “Big moments, little by little,” brings Dena’s vision for the mural to fruition. As with most things in life — “whether it’s transitioning into a new journey or growing up” — they are not merely single events, but rather the culmination of many small experiences which shape an individual.

“I really feel like it resonates both with the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, but also with the community as a whole,” Dena added.

Each panel of Dena's tryptich depicts an interaction between “a big and a little,” with nods to the Chippewa Valley's natural landscapes throughout.

Travis Austad, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, said the mural would not have been possible without the support of the building owners — Investment Realty — and the mural’s sponsor: Scheels of Eau Claire.

“We are so grateful for the support of Scheels to create the mural on our building and all who made this possible,” Travis said. “This allows another source of visibility for us with all the foot and vehicle traffic around our building per day. Downtown is such a beautiful place and we are happy to be a part of it.”

Scheels’ contributions provided financial support for necessary supplies and a stipend for the artist to complete the mural installation, Julie added.

When she saw Dena’s mural in progress for the first time, Julie said she was taken aback by the vibrant hues and imagery connected to Eau Claire’s natural landscapes.

“(The mural) adds some vibrancy to that part of town,” Julie said. “It’s my hope that (the mural) would bring attention to the organization and maybe help with recruiting some more big brothers and big sisters.”

See the new mural on display at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin location in town, at the corner of Galloway and Farwell streets in downtown Eau Claire. For more information and resources from the area nonprofit, visit their webpage online, bbbsnw.org.