Perhaps the coolest thing to come out of our participation in Dover Art Week 2024 was three great murals. These murals provide an interesting set of contrasts, but together they highlight the different ways that art can be created - spontaneous or planned, individual or collective - and the different ways it can benefit the community.
Mural #1 - Entry mural by Mustart
The tale of the first mural begins in the days leading up to our first art event, when Ivan Petrovsky (aka Mustart) bluntly and correctly noted that our entrance lobby at 10 N. Warren Street would be very “boring”, and offered to paint "a little something” to make things more exciting. One day –and many cans of paint and spray paint later – Ivan and his trusty assistant Liz Smith from Levitate Creative Services had produced a wonderful mural that totally transformed our entrance and paid homage to the goals of our art space. The only disappointing thing is that this beautiful mural is only temporary.
Mural #2 - Community mural by Dan Fenelon
The tale of the second mural starts with the artist Dan Fenelon and his wife Kadie Dempsey, partners at Core Creative Placemaking. While discussing potential activities for Dover Art Week 2024, Kadie and Dan proposed the creation of a community mural created by residents and friends of Dover in a series of community painting sessions. This mural would not only serve as a striking visual piece but also as a symbol of unity, collaboration, and pride for the town of Dover. Based on input gathered from the community, the proposal was simple yet profound; celebrate the town’s rich history, its evolving present, and its aspirations for the future. Even better, the community painting sessions brought together people of all types, each stroke of the brush adding a personal touch to this collective masterpiece. The end result is a spectacular!
The community mural was completed over three days—July 24, 25, and 26. The mural was divided into individual canvases, and from Thursday to Saturday, artists gathered for 3 hour sessions to paint the sections. What made this event truly special was the diversity of the artists involved. They came from all walks of life, representing different ages, cultures and backgrounds, some not even speaking the same language as others. This highlights the true beauty of art—it transcends language and is so universal that sometimes there is no need to exchange words; the brush speaks on behalf of the artist. By the end, all the pieces came together beautifully, forming a stunning work of art, and we could not have been more pleased with the outcome of these events. The experience not only showcased incredible artistic talent but also reminded us of the power that art has to bring a community together.
Mural #3 - Beyond the Brush collaborative artists mural
The story of the final mural emerged in a much more spontaneous and organic way during our Beyond the Brush artist networking night. The atmosphere was vibrant, with food, drinks, and a DJ providing music to set the tone for the evening. However, what really caught the artists' attention was the large blank space on the wall. To the average person, it might have seemed like just an empty wall, but to an artist, it was a blank canvas waiting to come alive. That said, Mustart saw the opportunity and got the ball rolling. He took it upon himself to outline the word “DOVER” on the blank space and soon after, one by one, the artists in attendance—each with their own vision--jumped right in to add their own touch and unique styles. It became a collaborative free-for-all of artistic expression with elements such as dragons, aliens, volcanos, abstract patterns, various animals, and so much more. The end result is a very different, but equally wonderful, celebration of Dover.
These murals, or pictures of them, will hang in a place of honor in the soon-to-be refurbished entrance to the Richards Basement. We are grateful to all the artists and members of the community who helped to create them - and helped teach us that, when it comes to art, both the process and product can be beautiful in different ways.
[Photo credits: Glad Marketing LLC, AutoHD Creative Studios, and Fresco Arts Team]
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