The Creation of a New Community Mural in Seven Simple Steps

By Dawn Heerspink, Branch Librarian

What Makes a Community Mural?

The Friends of the Byron Twp. Library sought to answer that question this autumn in order to transform the drab brown wall in the Clara C. Cheyne program room into a work of whimsy and joy.

Here’s how a tired wall was given new life: 

1. Find engaged people. The design committee for the mural formed with library staff members, Byron Twp. Friends of the Library community members and a township representative under the guidance of Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts.
2. Find the right artist. The design committee looked at over 40 different artist styles and samples with no artist identification attached. From the samples, they choose three artists to render a concept design for the wall, giving the artists the charge to create something that reflected the imagination, life and whimsy found at the library and within the pages of a book. From those concept designs, the committee chose local artist Christina Hutton because of her attention to detail, joyful colors and the sense of wonder her work generated.
3. Find funding. Proceeds from Byron Twp. Library book sales helped fund the mural, giving ownership to the community.
4. Find painters. Christina created the outline of the mural, and a giant paint-by-number was born, with families and other visitors becoming artists, too.
5. Find patience with the process. Great art takes time, as Christina filled in and defined the vision over almost two months and gave the rest of the room a fresh coat of paint.
6. Find a giant ribbon. We invited everyone, gathered together and celebrated!
7. Keep finding good stories. We’ve seen the mural spark storied moments created by painting together and being in a shared space. It’s already encouraging learning skills through color and shape recognition by young children and through offering a free space to appreciate art and make meaning from it to all ages. We hope the mural inspires other artists, writers, observers and library visitors in the years to come.