TURNERS FALLS — RiverCulture Director Suzanne LoManto believes “good public art is a response by an artist to the times we live in and the people who make up a community.” The completion of the 3,200-square-foot mural on the exterior of the Shea Theater Arts Center on Avenue A serves as an example of that. North Carolina artist Darion Fleming finished the mural in less than two weeks, wrapping up early Monday morning.
Although the piece was not yet complete, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Saturday. LoManto thanked several people involved in the project and noted the value of public art in a community. “Public art is a collective expression,” LoManto said in her speech.
“It’s for everyone, because it’s by everyone.” The Montague Selectboard approved a $30,510 contract with Common Wealth Murals LLC, a Springfield-based nonprofit that is tasked with managing the project, in January, following a previous vote to allocate $25,000 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funding toward the project. Of the $30,510, Fleming is being paid $15,000 for the mural, with the rest of the funds covering supplies, travel and lodging expenses.
To select an artist, theme and design for the mural, an eight-person steering group was formed. After being chosen from 354 applicants, Fleming used 13 pages worth of community input to submit designs for consideration. The chosen design depicts two figures, pictured from behind, embracing one another.
While the figure on the lef.