Mural project under way in Czech Village

Work on the first of two murals that will bookend Czech Village and New Bohemia is underway this weekend.

Volunteers today began painting the 8-by-24-foot mural that will be installed on the former Bartunek's Appliance building, 98 16

^th

Ave. SW, in Czech Village.

“I think this is such a cool thing to be a part of,” said Bridget Casey, 48, of Cedar Rapids. “It's kind of fun. It's exciting.”

Casey filled in the colors on a sketched ethnic Czech dress on the wall behind the former Diamond Vogel building, 1612 C St. SW, where the mural is being painted.

Nancy Bennett, 57, of Centerville, said some murals are painted directly on walls, but this uses aluminum composite panels that will be attached to the brick Bartunek building.

Bennett is an artist with the Walldogs, a group of artists who paint murals throughout the country and even overseas.

Her job involved sketching the outline of the painting onto the panels and training the volunteers.

“Here's a brush; here's the color. Fill in the lines – make them wiggly,” she said of the quick painting lesson.

The mural depicts scenes that represent Czech Village: the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library; Marj Nejdl and the Czech art of egg decorating; a Czech princess and more.

“We're trying to exemplify the area and give people an idea of what this area is about,” Bennett said.

The panels will be installed on the Bartunek building “around noon” Sunday, she said.

Bennett said the mural, painted with water-based paint, should last about 10 years.

Lu Barron, 56, and her daughter, Barbara Barron, 24, signed their names after finishing a hot and humid two-hour shift.

Barron, a Linn County Supervisor from Cedar Rapids and her daughter, who is visiting from New Zealand, worked on background colors and pale green trim.

Bennett said the color scheme and style were inspired by Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha.

Work will continue on the painting Saturday during the Czech Village 16th Avenue Resale Road Show. The garage sale-style event, which includes food vendors and music, will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A second mural is being planned for the Bottleworks Building on Third Street and Ninth Avenue SE in New Bohemia in the spring.

Jim Jacobmeyer, interim director of the Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street District, the project sponsor, said the murals will unify the district, which spans both sides of the Cedar River.

The $5,000 project was funded by a grant from the Witwer Trust and other donations.