If you like art or history, you will enjoy a special event planned for Morris on Saturday, July 10. The Makers Art Festival will be taking place that day featuring art classes and demonstrations, music at East Side Park, STEAM kits for kids at the library and the unveiling of a beautiful mural in the museum.
The mural at the museum was painted last month by Tony Stafki of Walls of Art LLC. It depicts Stevens County during the 1850s through the 1950s. The mural has scenes from each community and rural sites of notoriety. The mural is painted on a new wall constructed in the museum to section off the large open space on the main level.
This historical mural is possible through a gift to the museum by Carol Day in memory of her daughter, Candace Altonen. After consulting Carol with the idea, museum Director Cam Erickson started doing some research. She ran across Stafki’s facebook page and noted the beautiful work he did including painting a silo near Hutchinson, MN and a large tunnel in Shakopee. He has been doing wall art for 14 years.
Stafki agreed to the project and began working on a design that would incorporate several aspects of the county. He brought his ideas to Erickson who, along with two board members, Donna Eul and Jeannie Ennen, narrowed down the design.
Before actually beginning the job, Erickson and Stafki took a driving tour of the county where he could get a better impression of the landscape. Photographs of historical buildings were taken from the museum archives to incorporate into the painting of the mural.
The finished project is fantastic and will be officially unveiled during the festival. The time for the unveiling will be at 9:45 a.m. on July 10. Afterward you can spend time at the classes and demonstrations which include barn quilt painting and card making. There will be food and activities for children and music at East Side Park featuring local musicians. Come out and enjoy the day and celebrate our county.
