Rotary’s mural project coming up

OLDTOWN – Every city needs some public art and the Newport, Priest River Rotary Club is aiming to make that happen with the Oldtown Rotary Park Boat Launch Mural Project, a multi-phased endeavor to replace damaged eco blocks in the retaining wall at the boat launch and create a 4-feet by 20-feet mural with the words, ‘Welcome to Oldtown, Idaho’ on a forest scene. To top it off, the mural will feature animals painted by students from the Pend Oreille River Valley.

Headed by Newport, Priest River Rotary Club’s Immediate Past President Elizabeth Glazier, the project originally started as a way to cover up the graffiti underneath the Oldtown Bridge by the boat launch. Glazier said when the club approached the Idaho Department of Transportation in March about donating paint to the project, IDT instead said they would send a crew out to paint over the graffiti themselves. While the hasty response and labor was appreciated, when it came to painting a mural on the bridge there was more bureaucracy with the state government than she wanted to deal with.

“There was just so many hoops we had to jump through for the mural that we changed course and thought it would be better the approach the city (of Oldtown),” Glazier said.

For the club’s Day of Service in May, Rotarians helped the city by picking up trash at the park, did lawn maintenance, repaired the life jacket board and repainted signage around the boat launch.

“A lot of people think we (Rotary) own that park, but it belongs to the city,” current club President Angelina Schmeltzer said, adding that while Rotarians built the visitor center, the space and park are the property of the City of Oldtown. “We are thankful they are working with us to make the project happen.”

The mural will be located closer to the river and will be visible from Highway 2 by drivers going toward Idaho. At least three to four eco blocks that make up the retaining wall need to be replaced before painting begins and Selkirk Ace and Albeni Falls hardware stores are providing a new bracket system and discounted wood boards for the project. Skyler and Paulina Fredrickson will help with the installation and Paulina Frederickson will paint the mural.

Schmeltzer said that the project will cost approximately $2,300.

The final phase of the project is to invite local students, either homeschooled or from public schools in Pend Oreille and West Bonner County school districts to submit their art pieces to add to the mural. Students will add their pieces in July under the instruction and supervision of Paulina Fredrickson. Examples of student art can include bear, fish, deer, an eagle, a fisherman, a skier in the mountains, native plants/flowers, etc.

Students wanting to participate can go to the website at www.newportpriestriverrotary. org, go to Document Vault on the right and download the Oldtown Rotary Park Boat Launch Mural Project submission form.

Forms should be returned to the Roary Club no later than July 10. Students will be invited to the mural site to add their paintings themselves.

“Paulina will be there to help them paint their designs to scale,” Glazier said. “We hope to have music, snacks, food—just make it a fun day.”

The final stage includes sealing the artwork and holding a ribbon cutting celebration for the mural with the community and visitors to the Oldtown Rotary Park Boat Launch, time to be announced.

“I think it’s a sentimental piece bridging both state lines and using student art and local artists to bring the vision together,” Glazier said.

Follow the Newport, Priest River Rotary Club on their Facebook page. Meetings are 8 a.m. on Wednesdays at the Oldtown Rotary Park Building located at 68 Old Diamond Mill Rd., Oldtown.

SOPHIA MATTICE-ALDOUS IS A MURROW NEWS FELLOW WORKING DIRECTLY WITH NEWSROOMS AT THE NEWPORT MINER AND RANGE MEDIA THROUGH A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. HER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE FOR USE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS WITH CREDIT.