Many in Wittenberg turn to Britt’s Candy and Ice Cream Shop to satisfy their sweet tooth fix. Beginning in June, there will be a new mural to satisfy customers’ visual senses as well.
One of the drawing and painting classes taught by Diana Wendler at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School is bringing the mural to life at the request of Karla Verkuilen, owner for Britt’s, 602 E. Grand Ave., Wittenberg. Three Masonite boards are currently being painted by students from drawings that they drafted earlier in the year after first meeting with Verkuilen to discuss her vision for the mural.
This is a first for the school, according to Wendler, who hopes that this might open the door to other opportunities if local businesses are looking to add a splash of color. The project is separate from the Walls of Wittenberg program, which has created more than two dozen murals on business walls in the community.
“The students have been painting all trimester with acrylic,” Wendler said. “The murals are painted in acrylic. It’s been about a month since they first drew it out on the boards.”
Sketching what each board was going to look like and setting it up on a grid to conform to the existing dimensions of 4 feet wide by 2 feet high took about a week, mainly to examine getting the colors together.
“Before we even started planning, we walked over there, and Karla gave us free ice cream while we discussed what she was thinking for topics that she wanted to have on her mural,” Wendler said.
She said Verkuilen wanted to see plenty of red, white and blue on the mural, so at least two of the panels will have a patriotic motif. The reason for the mural color scheme is to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States, according to Wendler. Those two panels are titled “A Spoon Full of Home” and “Summertime Drip.”
The last panel is being done by seniors and will have a slightly different appearance, she said. Verkuilen has passion for the 1960s, and that panel, titled “Scooped With Love,” will include a Volkswagen van and peace sign.
The students set up their panel designs on easels and reviewed them as a group to critique appearance and conformity, according to Wendler.
“We see areas that are empty and see if there’s something else to fill in,” she said. “Maybe a color doesn’t work, and the group just wants to ask, ‘What else could we use?’ It was a nice time for everyone to observe their progress and feel open to feedback.”
The project is more than giving the students the chance to express their talents. Wendler said it’s teaching the students the importance of finishing the project on deadline for their client and also managing their time. So far, the students have not had to spend any time outside of class working on the murals.
“The seniors are finished next week, so they really have to work,” Wendler said. “The other two groups have two more weeks.”
Being able to take on a bigger task like this makes a difference when it comes to working in the real world, according to Wendler.
“It’s not about the grade anymore,” she said. “It’s about the end product.”
Senior Ava Filtz said she was eager to be part of something larger than her own artwork.
“It’s really interesting,” Filtz said. “I’m glad I’m going to be contributing to something that’s going to be there for a while.”
Once the mural is installed, the high school’s metal shop will include plaques underneath each board listing the students who worked on them. Wendler said the mural is set to be installed the first week of June.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School seniors Ashley Rojas, left, and Isabella Stegall work to fill in the unpainted portions of their mural panel, “Scooped With Love,” during class on May 12. Although the mural panels aren’t expected to be installed until early June, the pair only have a week to finish their work due to graduation May 22. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
A collaborative effort is underway between Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School students, from left, Natalie Micheau, Jaydalee Prasaowicz, Cohen Kasten and Jay Swearingen as they try to finish up their mural panel, “A Spoon Full of Home,” in time to be installed outside Britt’s Candy and Ice Cream Shop in Wittenberg the first week in June. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School student Alexis Kotolski adds a little red May 12 to one of the circles on the mural panel “A Spoon Full of Home.” (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School seniors Ava Filtz, left, and Wipanakere Snake share a laugh as they figure out where to go on their mural panel “Scooped With Love.” (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School art teacher Diana Wendler, right, speaks with students Madison Fisher and Daniel Olivarez on May 12 about the next steps for their mural panel titled “Summertime Drip.” (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
