By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
“What other small town can say it has more than 10 thriving businesses on its main street?” asked Kellie Mrotz, member of the Ellendale Gathering Place Mural Committee.
“We have that today because of the strong history of our community and the strong connections among the people who live here.”
About 25 people, including representatives from three newspapers, attended an informational session regarding the committee’s work so far toward erecting a mural in an unoccupied lot along Highway 30 within sight of the town’s community center. Those in attendance were told the Ellendale Area Heritage Society had applied for a “Small Town Grant” from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) and been awarded the maximum amount: $10,000. The grant is earmarked for supplies, printing and installation costs to create and display the mural.
The group was introduced to artist Chandler Anderson, who has painted murals all across southern Minnesota, both indoors and out. Many have been for schools: Among the samples of his work shown in a slide show were a Wellcome Memorial Knight and an extreme closeup of a tiger’s face which brought the most attention to its eyes.
According to a message from Anderson published in the evening’s handout, numerous members of his family–his great-grandfather Thor Emstad and great-grand-uncle Knute Emstad, worked on buildings and projects still standing in the community.
Anderson is being paid $16,500 for his work. Among the tasks he will be completing are the creation of the design, the selection and special “weatherproofing” preparations of the aluminum sheets on which the mural will be painted, the act of painting, and then applying a transparent overcoat like the one used on vehicles.
Indicating the large room in the community center, he said, “This will be my studio for the next month and a half.” Anderson said he hopes to be finished with the painting by the end of February, but quickly added it was simply a personal goal and the work might take longer.
The mural, 12 feet tall and 20 feet wide, will be painted in sections on individual panels, the largest of which will be 8 feet wide and 4 feet tall. The panels will be temporarily mounted on a wall of the community center “studio” for painting. When ready, they will be backed by a rigid composite material.
When finished, the mural will be about 4 feet above the ground on a framework made of creosote-treated posts of the type used for power poles by utility companies. According to committee member Ed Reiss, who is in charge of getting the framework set up, each post will be set in a concrete base about 6 feet below ground level. The composite-backed mural will be mounted to the front facing Highway 30; the same composite material will be mounted to the back side of the framework, making the whole structure better able to withstand wind and weather.
Still under consideration is the precise placement of the mural framework.
Under the expectations of the grant, the mural must be finished and mounted by August. Committee members expect full costs for the mural and its framework to reach about $26,000. The grant, of course, covers a large share. A check for $ 8,250, made possible through community fundraising efforts begun in 2020 and an anonymous donation the night of the meeting, was presented to Chandler Anderson by Gwen Reiss.
Once the mural is created and displayed, the committee has set itself a goal of transforming the unoccupied lot into an attractive and welcoming gathering place. It was stated that the the transformation, dubbed “Phase 2” of the project is still
in the planning stage but will likely cost in the range of $20,000.
This will include creating gardens and paths, adding picnic tables, and–the group hopes–a small stage to be used for performances and entertainment. A rather large evergreen currently standing in the space will either need to be removed or perhaps pruned, depending on decisions yet to be made. Jo Lerberg added “We would love to have as much of Phase 2 finished for the one-hundred-twenty-fifth anniversary as possible,” noting that milestone will be reached in 2025. Kellie Mrotz stated that area residents-perhaps even including school children-could be invited to plant and maintain flower beds in the space.
Committee members have been conceiving and planning numerous fund-raising projects, including selling individualized paving bricks for use in the landscaping. They will also be recruiting volunteers willing to share their time and expertise on various elements of the two phases.
Members of the Ellendale gathering place mural committee are Chandler Anderson, Matt Bartsch, Jackie Froman (co-chair), Jo Lerberg (co-chair), Barb Mrotz, Kellie Mrotz, Cynthia Nelson, Dan Nelson, Ed Reiss and Gwen Reiss.