It looks to be full steam ahead for a mural paying homage to Lewes’s railroad history.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday heard a presentation about the proposed mural, which will depict a classic steam train and the city’s historic train station. The work will go on a wall at the Margaret H. Rollins Community Center.
The mural will be created by artist Michael Rosato. It would be the second mural he has created for Lewes.
In a departure from the usual procedure, the proposal has already been heard and approved by the City Council, which voted unanimously last week to move ahead with the project, contingent on approval by the Parks and Recreation Commission. Normally, proposals like this make their through the relevant committees before appearing in front of council, but supporters of the mural project say the deviation was due to the need to get on Rosato’s schedule and the opportunity to get the proposal in front of city council last week, before the Parks and Recreation Committee’s scheduled meeting.
Still, the proposal’s approval by council before Parks and Recreation could weigh in seemed to cause some consternation for Interim Chair Kay Carnahan.
“I would have thought they would have come here first and then mayor and council so that they could review comments that came from this group before discussing the mural,” she said. “To be honest, I wasn't really clear that our comments were wanted.”
But, Trina Brown-Hicks, a city council member who also serves on Parks and Recreation, assured Carnahan that the council’s vote was conditional on a recommendation from the commission.
“Mayor and City Council do want to hear from Parks and Rec, and if there's any issues or concerns, then that will go back to Mayor and City Council,” she said.
The mural will likely cost around $18,250, but won’t require any additional funding from the city. The cost will be shared by Art in Bloom, the Lewes Junction Railroad and Bridge Association, and money already budgeted for the city’s Public Art Committee.
Parks and Recreation Commission member Barry Dunkin supports the mural.
“I like it. I think it's a great idea,” he said. “It contributes to the wonderful railroad presence that we have out there and speaks to our history, so I'm all for it.”
The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved the plan, and it could be installed by late fall.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
