The American Mural Project aims to create the world's largest indoor art education collaboration.
This week, the State Bond Commission approved a $1 million grant to support the development of an old mill building in Winsted to house the American Mural Project.
Ellen Griesedieck, the project’s artist and founder, said that when the space is renovated, it will be as large as the Parthenon.
“And the reason it has to be this grand is because the mural itself is 120 feet long and five stories high. There is nothing like it anywhere that I know of, certainly in this country,” said Griesedieck.
The American Mural Project aims to create the world’s largest indoor art education collaboration. It's a celebration of America's ingenuity and productivity and a tribute to its workers.
In a study of the mural, you can see construction workers, an image of a surgeon in an operating room, a woman milking a cow, and more.
Griesedieck started the project 15 years ago, working with students in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. She's since worked with more than 10,000 kids in communities across the U.S. to create pieces of the mural.
Kids from West Virginia created blown glass.
"They’re known for blown glass. So we go into Blenko Glass and everybody blows glass. And we’ve got 26 feet of blown glass that’s part of the Mural Project representing West Virginia," said Griesedieck.
She expects the mural to be installed in the building one year after the renovation work is completed.
Down the road, there are plans for a second building to offer visitors opportunities to create their own art.
