SYRACUSE  – Former art teacher Carolyn Gigstad credits hundreds of volunteer hours and inspiration that is decades in the making for an 1,800-square-foot mural in downtown Syracuse.

Gigstad, who led the high school’s art program in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, said the mural push 40 years ago didn’t gain traction, but provided inspiration for volunteer artistry.

 

 

Gigstad: “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You know to take off and try to get it rebooted from the ‘70s, so we decided okay we’re going to do one.

… What was really fun was the priority for volunteers to paint, like we did when we had my art class painting, students doing it back then.”

Volunteers painted evening after evening to complete a design created by Emily Delgado, who grew up in Callaway and currently lives in Syracuse. The city had sponsored a call for artists competition for the design and Delgado say she drew up her design on a mobile phone and sent it in.

Delgado: “I think the biggest thing for me is like trees, feels like community and family and our park is also covered in trees so that was kind of the whole point.”

It got its start when Riverstone Bank ordered masonry repairs and painted primer on the east side of the building along Thorne Street.

Volunteers helped with scaffolding, and cheerleading and painting from June through September.

 

 

Delgado: “I think it was very surreal and I was very glad to have the help because there is no way I could’ve got this done by myself.”

The mural has a swing attached to the wall to provide an interactive experience.

The public art follows a mural painted by Katy Biehl in the alley of Roc Hopper Brewing Company.