Two Murals Set for Lansdale Mural Arts Program

Artists will soon paint the town red. And blue. And yellow. And possibly any other color under the sun.

The owners of two buildings on West Main Street in Lansdale—Joe and Patricia McQuillin, owners of 1 W. Main St.,  and William and Dorothy Ross, owners of 209 W. Main St.—have signed on to work in conjunction with the Lansdale Mural Arts Program to host the first two murals in town.

The murals are proposed to be painted on the side of McQuillin Studios at Main and Broad streets, and on the side of Tabora Cafe, next to Railroad Plaza. The first mural has a completion date of August 2013.

The Lansdale Mural Arts Program was the talk of the town hall meeting in Lansdale on Tuesday night. 

Lansdale Business Association President and town hall co-moderator Doug DiPasquale said the building owners would have the final say on what goes on their exterior walls.

DiPasquale said the mural selection committee will have a call for artists and begin evaluating ideas for the buildings.

Artists must submit digital or hard copy of concepts by April 24.

DiPasquale said each artist can submit up to five different concepts per building, or 10 concepts per artist.

"It's up to the artists to narrow it down as they talk to the building owners and then present it to the selection committee," he said. "They may think of something we haven't thought of." 

At the town hall session, Lansdale Community Development Director John Ernst asked if there has been criteria established for subject matter for the murals. DiPasquale said that, besides input from the building owners, ideas will be open.

"We'll keep it open so we are getting a wide variety of pictures or renderings," he said.

While nonprofits and companies, like the North Penn United Way, are set to sponsor the murals program, business and sponsor names and logos cannot be advertised on the murals.

"We can have plaques on the walls," DiPasquale said.

He said Lansdale being part of the "Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia" program is being emphasized to artists interested in submitting concepts.

"It allows artists to visit and ask questions about the community. We hope local artists see that first and foremost," DiPasquale said.

But, before they mask the walls—masquerade ball.

A major fundraising and awareness event called the “Mural Masquerade” will be held June 8 at Marjeane Caterers in Lansdale, according to DiPasquale. This event takes place of the LBA's annual gala fundraiser.

"More business owners attended in the past. This year, we expect more residents and community members," he said. 

DiPasquale said the masquerade will be the opportunity for the public to see two or three narrowed-down concepts for the murals.

Prior to the Mural Masquerade, a kickoff event for fundraising will occur at the April First Friday event with face painting and a funky fish craft project at the LBA booth. 

Funding and community support via additional events will be planned by the LBA. Funding is needed to cover insurance, prepartation and materials. Labor will be done by community and LMAP volunteers.

"There's no budget in mind for the artists," DiPasquale said. "The gala will be the catalyst to get the most amount of funds."

DiPasquale said the annual gala usually raises between $4,000 and $6,000, and that's with a 50/50 raffle.

"Our goal is to triple that amount. We'd like to see $20,000 raised for the program so we can continue to do this and move forward," he said. 

Funds, he said, would be earmarked so money won't affect other distinct LBA programs.

DiPasquale said the Lansdale Mural Arts Program is not something that the LBA came up with this year. He said Lansdale Business Center manager and LBA member Ellen Foulke has done some work behind the scenes.

"She contacted the mural arts program director in Allentown," he said.

DiPasquale added that some LBA members know connections in the Philadelphia arts program and the North Penn Arts Alliance.

He added that Henning's Scale Models owner Bill Henning already has a train mural on the side of his building and "has been great to get going with what the form should look like."

"Between Allentown, Philadelphia and the North Penn Arts Alliance, the committee is ready to go to make sure we do the right thing," DiPasquale said.

Resident Jean Fritz asked if trees would be taken down at Railroad Plaza to provide a better view of the exterior wall of Tabora Farms.

DiPasquale said, "The wind is doing a good job of taking down the trees."

Borough Manager Timi Kirchner agreed the trees are not in good shape. She said Equus Capital Partners and the borough are looking at changes at Railroad Plaza as part of the Madison Lot Redevelopment Project.

Interested in becoming involved as a volunteer or an artist submitting concepts? Email murals@lansdalebiz.org.