Community mural to be painted in historic Finger Lakes village
The Clifton Springs YMCA building will soon have a mural painted by the community (photo courtesy)
CLIFTON SPRINGS, NY — The Clifton Springs YMCA will receive a mural thanks to an Ontario County arts, culture and recreation grant, and advocates who launched the initiative for the community are excited to see the project get underway in the picturesque Finger Lakes village.
The public is invited to participate in a live mural painting experience that will take place on Saturday, September 14, at the Palace Theater, 10 Crane Street. The Clifton Springs YMCA uses the building as a fitness center.
The large-scale public artwork is being created by talented muralist Audra Linsner, who is proud to call Clifton Springs her hometown. The painting date coincides with Main Street Arts’ 4th Annual Plein Air Painting Event, where 53 artists spend a full day painting outdoors. Community members of all ages are welcome to participate in the mural painting event – no previous painting experience is necessary.
Audra will design and facilitate the community painting experience for the residents of Clifton Springs. “It’s incredibly meaningful to create art, especially for the place I grew up,” says Audra. “When I look back, I realize how much my love of creativity and community took root here. I’m so excited to have the chance to celebrate the village and how special it is to me and so many others through this mural!”
The Ontario County Arts, Culture and Recreation Grant Program was made possible through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Funds were provided to support projects aimed at developing or expanding arts, culture and recreation opportunities while the community recovers from COVID-19. Main Street Arts, a Clifton Springs-based nonprofit arts organization and art gallery specializing in showcasing contemporary arts and crafts, was very pleased to receive the funds.
“It’s exciting to see artworks escape the confines of the art gallery and spread out onto the walls of the village,” says Bradley Butler, executive director of Main Street Arts and curator of the gallery. “I hope this is just the first step in a larger movement to bring public art to Clifton Springs. This project exemplifies an important part of our mission, which is to increase community awareness of art through outreach and relationship building. It’s a wonderful way to promote the work of an artist from our village.”
The YMCA has transformed the lawn on the north side of the Palace Theater into a vibrant community space. Paul Birtel, CEO of the YMCA of Clifton Springs, and the board are excited about how these murals will continue to engage the community.
“Every day I admire the beauty of Clifton Springs because of the history of the community coming together and caring for one another,” says Paul. “The YMCA has always been a part of that history and we are excited to not only offer our building as a canvas over the next few months, but more importantly, bring the community together to create art and shape our village as we move forward.”
Paul, Audra and Brad thank other key stakeholders in this project, including Mayor Jim Keyes and community member Maureen Ballatori.
“The Village of Clifton Springs is incredibly proud to support this wonderful mural project painted by Audra, one of our own who grew up here,” says Jim. “The mural will be a personal expression of Audra’s artistic vision and thanks to the community’s input into the painting, the mural will be a testament to the strong, vibrant spirit that makes our village so special. We believe this collaboration not only enhances our shared spaces, but also brings us closer together and reflects the pride we all feel for our community.”
Maureen took on the role of promoter and sponsor of this project, but also wants to give credit where it is due. “This idea came from former YMCA Executive Director Todd Freelove. I fell in love with the idea of bringing public art to Clifton Springs and set out to make it happen. I am pleased that the YMCA Board of Directors has embraced this project so enthusiastically and am grateful to Brad, Audra, Jim and Ontario County for making this possible. I can’t wait to bring my family to Community Paint Day!”
The group also thanks community member Bryan Gray, who is sponsoring a portion of the mural as part of the matching funds for the scholarship.
Artwork is currently being developed in preparation for the community painting day on Saturday, September 14. For more information on how to register to paint, visit the Clifton Springs YMCA website and Facebook page.
For on-site interviews and questions, contact Maureen Ballatori at [email protected].
–Agency 29
