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Artist Selected for Downtown Brewery Mural, Work Underway
Sunday, June 25, 2017
    STEVEN POINT, WI - Work began Tuesday evening on a new downtown mural. The west-facing wall of the Galaxy Comics Games & More building (925 Clark Street) will be home to a new installation celebrating the 160th anniversary of the Stevens Point Brewery through an iconic mural that will serve as a landmark for both locals and visitors celebrating their time in Stevens Point.


    A design committee consisting of members of the Stevens Point Brewery, CREATE Portage County, and the Stevens Point Historic Preservation/Design Review Commission selected Chicago-based fine artist Nick Goettling to complete the installation. With public art in Portland, Washington state, and Chicago and past partnerships with the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, Clif Bar, and Lagunitas --Goettling offered a strong concept and portfolio that aligned with the goals of the project.


    "I don't just want my work to remind passersby that they've been brewing in Stevens Point since 1857," said Goettling. "I want to inspire the people who live there and visitors alike to really think about the decades of locally-grown knowledge, skills, and ingredients that go into a pint of Stevens Point beer. It's nodding to the past while looking forward."


    Coming to a decision was not easy, according to Stevens Point Brewery Director of Marketing Julie Birrenkott. "The outpouring of amazing ideas, ingenious designs, and creative talent really humbled us. We are pleased that artists as far as Brazil and New Zealand wanted to commemorate Wisconsin brewing history. We're most impressed by all the local artists who spent hours and hours coming up with world-class designs that we would have loved to see in a public space. The applicant pool is not just incredibly talented - they are passionate about what we do."


    The project was designed to commemorate the Brewery's 160 years of exceptional beverage-making in Stevens Point, which predates the incorporation of the city itself. Eager to contribute to local placemaking goals, the Brewery partnered with CREATE Portage County to add to their growing downtown mural collection.


    The open call for artists was announced in late February. The organizers received submissions from 29 talented artists and designers from around Wisconsin, the United States, and the world.


    "Many of the exceptional submissions we received fell into two categories," said Greg Wright, Executive Director of CREATE. "Some created incredibly-detailed depictions of the history of the Stevens Point Brewery, while others offered modern interpretations of the Brewery's icons and its place in the community. Nick gave us the best of both worlds, while also coming up with a 'visual hook' we had not seen before."


    Goettling will be working on the mural for the next few weeks. Residents are encouraged to visit the site to watch the installation take place. A public dedication of the completed mural will be held on a date TBD in mid-July.


    The Stevens Point Brewery and CREATE Portage County would like to thank all artists for their thoughtful submissions. The resulting mural will not just be for the Stevens Point Brewery, but for the whole community, for everyone who helped spread the word, who submitted an original artwork, or simply enjoys Wisconsin craft beer.



    Posted by Wisconsin Brewers Guild at 4:15 PM
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