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Hand mural removed for construction project
If anyone has recently passed by the murals located in the outdoor space of the Putnam County Visitors’ building (south of the courthouse square), you will have noticed there is one less mural in the community.
This past week, artist Cameron Moberg’s (aka Camer1sf) colorful hand mural was removed as part of a planned construction project on the building.
While some may be asking why the mural was allowed to be removed, it is important to note that both the artist and Putnam County Mural Project team were fully aware that this day was coming.
In fact, the “colorful hand mural” was never intended to be painted in the first place. The idea for the mural came only three days before it was painted, as part of an offer by Moberg to do a free live mural during the festival’s closing event.
Unlike the other murals that the Putnam County Mural Project installs throughout the county, this wall was the only wall to not have a five-year easement agreement in place.
“This mural came together so quickly, within 48 hours, overlapping with a sale of that building,” explained Chris Flegal, co-founder of Putnam County Mural Project. “The real estate agent was literally in the process of closing on the building during our request, and we were thankful that both old and new owners were more than happy to allow us to install the mural during our event.”
Of course, one of the conditions for the mural project team was that there would be no five-year easement agreement, because the new owner had plans to renovate that part of the building. This was accepted by the artist and mural project team since the real goal was to do something special and unique during the community block party.
“I think this is a great lesson that public art is rarely permanent ... and that’s OK. Over time murals will fade, sculptures will get a patina, architecture will crumble, and public music performances will end in silence. The beauty of public art is in the process of community dialogue, experience and engagement,” Flegal added.
In fact, many public art installations across the country intentionally create public art, only to be covered up or removed after a period of time. Wynwood Walls in Miami is a great example of such an organization. As one of the most popular mural districts in the world, attracting thousands of arts fans from every continent on a yearly basis, the murals at Wynwood Walls only stay up for one year. Only to be repainted by a new artist with new artwork.
For now, those who were able to see the mural in person at some point during the past six months will have to celebrate it in our memory or digital form. Fans of Moberg can still enjoy his “Welcome to Putnam County” mural, which does have a five-year easement in place, along with UV-protective sealant that will keep the colors vibrant for years to come.