Fraser prepares for Mountain Mural Walk
McKenna Harford / mharford@skyhinews.com
The Fraser Mountain Mural Festival will be the Fraser Mountain Mural Walk this summer.
The second year of the mural event has been converted to accommodate public health orders and recommendations. Scheduled for Aug. 7-8, this year’s event will be spread out across town.
Artists will have 8 foot by 8 foot primed panels back to back in various locations. Many of the murals will be created right outside of businesses with designated public viewing areas.
“Our businesses are really excited about the opportunity to have something happening right in front of their business,” Town Manager Jeff Durbin said.
On Wednesday, the Fraser Board of Trustees approved $8,500 on top of the $20,000 already allocated to the Mural Walk. Funding was $3,500 short with a $5,000 grant from the Grand County Tourism Board, but the tourism board has put grant funding on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis. Trustees thought that the board putting tourism funding on hold didn’t make sense for the summer.
“This is the time we need tourism,” Trustee Andy Miller said. “I get that they’re being a little conservative, but to put the entire grant program on hold when we’re all tremendously challenged with dollars — I don’t agree with that.”
The board agreed to have town staff draft a letter to the county’s tourism board asking that grants start being released to help local economies recover from the COVID-19 closures.
Because some of the funding from the town’s art in public places budget has been put on hold in other areas, including the mural program and Winter Walk, the board felt the town could cover the entire $8,500 if needed.
The deadline for artist submissions for the Mural Walk was Friday. This year’s theme is to celebrate the Fraser Valley with local history, local preservation, transportation and outdoor life.
Three cash awards will be paid out to artists based on a people’s choice vote. Viewers can also start bidding on murals as soon as the walk begins.
In other business:
• Trustees approved a liquor license for the Tin Cup Tavern, which hopes to open in Fraser by the end of July.
• Trustees approved an intergovernmental agreement regarding the coronavirus relief fund with the county and other towns in Grand.
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