August 9, 2013 at 4:51 p.m.
Cell tower mural back on track
Cell tower mural back on track
In fact, the very reason the building's north side has a smooth finish as opposed to the textured brick exterior of the other three walls is to accommodate an annual mural. Aesthetics were a top concern when AT&T first proposed constructing the tower in the Courtney Street parking lot in 2010.
But, as the adage goes, some things are easier said than done. Since the cell tower was completed in the latter part of 2011, mural efforts have stalled.
"A lot of people want to see something on there but nobody has wanted to pay the money or do the work," said alderman Mark Pelletier, who sits on the Parking Advisory Board where the mural issue has been resurrected in recent months.
There may soon be someone taking on the inaugural cell tower mural though. On Monday's City Council agenda will be final approval of an agreement with Nicolet Area Technical College for students to complete the mural project every year.
The agreement calls for the city to give the students a $500 stipend for the project as well as a contribution of $500 to the Nicolet College Foundation. It will be paid for out of the fund the Parking Advisory Board oversees, which is made up of contributions from the city, Downtown Rhinelander Inc. (DRI) and the Cleary Foundation as well as revenue from the lease agreement with AT&T.
The mural won't be completed until the spring but City Administrator Blaine Oborn said the agreement needs to be approved now so Nicolet can begin recruiting students for the project this fall. The agreement states that the city will review its $1,000 commitment to the project annually, but officials are open to providing three years of seed funding to help get the mural project established. After that, the hope is that grants and sponsorships will sustain the annual public art project.
"There's money available for projects like this," Pelletier said.
But it's been difficult to acquire any of that grant funding for a first-time project, he said. A project needs a proven track record.
Early on, an ad hoc volunteer group made up of representatives from DRI and ArtStart attempted to solicit proposals from area artists for the mural. That was far as the effort progressed though. The group never came to the city with a proposal for consideration.
Now, through the agreement with Nicolet College, the cell tower building is on track to have its first mural by the end of May. According to the agreement, the city will select a theme for the mural. The first mural will have a veterans theme.
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
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