by Kristina Gabalski
The Village of Brockport has received a $2,843.00 matching grant from the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester for a large-scale historic mural to be painted on an exterior wall of the Village DPW building on East Ave.
Mayor Connie Castaneda made the announcement during the February 26 regular meeting of the Village Board.
Local artist Stacey Kirby has been asked to paint the mural which will depict the reconfiguration of the Erie Canal as the Barge Canal in Brockport in 1914-1915.
Trustee Margaret Blackman is overseeing the project and says two events that are part of the upcoming Canal Opening celebration will include Kirby.
“She will be at the Stone Soup Auction May 3, which is raising the matching funds for the grant and she will participate in an illustrated talk Trustee Bill Andrews is giving on the reconstruction of the Erie Canal as the Barge Canal,” Blackman says.
Kirby will present the conceptual design of the project at the Seymour Library and painting of the mural will begin in the fall of 2013 to coincide with the beginning of the school year. The mural will be completed by the end of September for an installation and dedication ceremony.
Trustee Blackman is coordinating the educational aspect of the project with the Brockport Central School District and The College at Brockport.
The Village applied for the grant in December 2012 and at that time Trustee Blackman called the reconfiguration project, “…. one of the most important works in the history of the Village DPW.”
According to the grant proposal, the mural will be produced in a studio on panels appropriate for long-term outdoor display and then attached to the DPW building.
The mural will contain documentary information specific to Brockport, and will serve as a visual expression of the Village’s historical identity as a Canal village.
“The unique focus of this mural on a construction phase of the Canal rather than the splendor of the finished product will pay tribute to the residents who physically labored during Canal construction periods, provide an interesting glimpse at the humble beginnings of the Canal, and be directly relevant to the function of the Department of Public Works,” the grant proposal states.
The mural will mark the beginning of an historical-themed public mural gallery planned in downtown Brockport and contribute to “Mural Mania” – an initiative supporting the development of an art gallery spanning the entire length of the canal.
The proposal further states that the Village DPW staff will provide in-kind labor to assist the artist in installing the mural. Kirby is also donating four hours of her time for educational programming in conjunction with the mural project. Additional educational sessions will be funded by the art auction.
“Educational presentations will be made to 4th graders, who study Canal history, as well as high school and college art students, who will learn about commercial art, murals, and what it is like to be a professional artist,” the proposal states. “These sessions will take place throughout the fall school semester.”
