Why do murals Matter in Stevens Point?
The Stevens Point area is full of history. Stevens Point has been around since the 1850’s and since its creation, there have been many changes in landscape and the social structure of the town. With UWSP’s Founding in the 1890’s, UWSP has been a very connected part of stevens point history. Many students who come into UWSP have limited knowledge of the history of Stevens Point, and many community members know little about how connected the histories of UWSP and Stevens point are.
Murals are pieces of artwork that provide insight into a certain social event, or moment in history that is significant to many people in one area. Did you know the stevens point area has numerous murals that depict significant moments in history? If you have walked around campus, or around downtown point, you probably have seen a few of the murals that have been established around Point. These murals contain important elements in Stevens Point history, that many students and people in the community might be unaware of.
Here are a few important murals in the community, and why they are important:
Murals on Campus:
E Pluribus Unum: “From Many, One”
This huge mural which is located on the side of the Trainer Natural Resources building was created by Richard Schneider, A former UWSP professor. The project, which was proposed in 1975, took seven and a half years to complete. The murals design was created by computer generated images, and used mostly volunteer help to create small tiles that would make up the colossal 150 ft by 50ft images. This mural took a long time to create, with much of funding and donations from different sponsors, but it was built to last. With the total creation of the mural finished around 1982, The mural still stands proud today drawing eyes to the many image that depict Wisconsin Landmarks, items from the history of UWSP, and things that are important to the history of science and natural resources.
Ancestors Buried Beneath Us
UWSP’s newest mural, depicting what is important to both UWSP and Stevens Point history all together. When UWSP was created in the 1890s, the first building established was built on a Native Burial pit, created after a smallpox outbreak hit a tribe on the Outskirts of Stevens Point. UWSP (Formerly the state normal school) Built its first building over these people, and the natives were forgotten about. In 2016, UWSP regained knowledge of the natives, and wanted to create a memorial mural, honoring both the natives buried beneath us, and indigenous people who attend UWSP today, despite adversities they might encounter. The mural was created by native artist named Christopher Sweet, was unveiled in 2023, and sits between the Dreyfus University Center and the Communication Arts Building.
Downtown Murals
The Rivermen
This mural was the first of many in downtown Stevens Point painted by Kelly Meredith. “The Rivermen” which was completed in 2004, showcases the logging industry. Since Stevens point is situated on the Wisconsin river, logging was the first industry that truly developed Stevens Point into the city we see today. This mural is unique in the way that the mural was painted mostly by volunteer involvement. Ms. Meredith painted the base, and outlined important shapes on the wall, then she stepped back and allowed volunteers to “paint by number” on the mural wall. This mural is located on the corner of Clark St. and Water St., right next to the Clark. St. Bridge and is the first in a series of murals to come that would showcase significant moments in Stevens Point history.
Market Square
Painted by Kelly Meredith in 2006, “Market Square” is a phenomenal piece of artwork that has ties to both the community and to downtown Stevens Point itself. Located on the southeast corner of the square in downtown Point, the mural depicts what the square would have looked like when a market was being held in 1910. The artist used a Postcard c. 1910 to produce the image. Who are the people in the foreground? Those are people who aided the funding of the mural. Through a donation, People from the community could have their face, or the face of a loved one painted in memorial, wearing clothes that would’ve been worn in 1910.
#Grab The Glass
This recent mural in downtown Stevens Point is located on the side of building number 925, On Clark Street. Created in 2017, Artist Nick Goettling was selected out of 30 artists to create a mural that showcased Point Brewery. This mural uses bright colors and a massive scale which draws in any viewer. 2017 was right along the time that Stevens Point Brewery celebrated its 160th anniversary. The Stevens Point Historic Preservation committee wanted a mural that showcased the brewery, and the importance of the company in Stevens Point culture today.
Polish Chickens
This mural is one of the oldest in downtown Stevens Point, and is hard to get research on. Titled “Polish Chickens”, The small mural rests right in the square. The mural was originally painted by Bernice Bartosz and Dennis Kolinski in 1976, then repainted before 2004. The mural was created to celebrate the cities bicentennial and was originally part of a 5 mural series that all depicted items from Polish culture. While we cannot find what the other 4 murals were, “Polish Chickens” is unique in which it mimics the Polish art of Wycinanki, or paper cutting. The mural is easily missed compared to other murals in the downtown area but is still a piece of Stevens Point history.
Want to learn more?
While there are more then a few that are not written about in this blog, there is plenty to learn from others not pictured here. And while they aren’t pictured, keep a look out for more murals in the community, whether in Stevens Point or another city, as they show the city or town’s history. Check out the Stevens Point Area mural Map for Locations and more info on different murals!
Sources:
Stevens Point Journal newspapers, Collected by Newspapers.com, Specific articles linked into each mural description.
Secondary sources:
Diaz, Ella Maria. “POSTER DREAMS: The Art of Protest and Social Change.” In Extraordinary Partnerships: How the Arts and Humanities Are Transforming America, edited by Christine Henseler, 137–58. Lever Press, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.11649046.12.
Zander, Mary Jane. “Instructional Resources: Murals as Documents of Social History.” Art Education 57, no. 5 (2004): 25–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3194101.
Leave a Reply