In the News…
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024
PARC is just getting started with new mural on West Water Street
By DC Johnson for the Princeton Times-Republic
The City of Princeton Board of Zoning Appeals met on Wednesday, September 11, and approved a request for a mural at 602 West Water Street. The mural of cranes flying toward the river was featured at "Get Funky Night" on Saturday, October 5.
The agent of the mural request was Greg Wright who is the President of the Board of the Princeton Art Collective (PARC). Wright said, "Inspired by the rich history of Wisconsin small towns - from Spring Green to Door County - that owe their vibrancy in part to a group of artist-friends, PARC hopes to strengthen Princeton's reputation as an arts destination through investments that increase support for local artists and invite more residents and visitors to make art in the community."
The board of the Princeton Art Collective (PARC) includes Lauren Decker, Sam Decker, Matt Trotter, and Greg Wright. Nick Goettling is the artist who painted the cranes on the side of Twister, LLC. The owners of Twister, Dennis and Kristin Galatowitsch were eager to support PARC and share the side of their building for the mural.
Dennis Galatowitsch said, "We were asked if we would volunteer a building wall for a mural by Greg Wright. We had to do some tuck pointing before the wall was ready for the mural. The community stepped in to help. Greg Wright and Matt Trotter were there as well as Jennifer from Knickerbocker Landing and Dennis Orlov from Field Blend Wines."
"The mural is completely awesome. We love the concept. It pays homage to the history of Princeton and to Princeton's relationship with the whooping crane," concluded Galatowitsch.
Carol Bielski, organizer of the Crane Fest for eight years after taking over from Mary Bethe and Operation Migration, said, "I think the mural is very beautiful and pretty cool."
PARC board member Lauren Decker explained the beginning of PARC, "We started the conversation after last summer. We did a series of concerts at the Parlor Hotel. Matt (Trotter) and Greg (Wright) were approached by several artists with ideas."
“It is amazing how vibrant, fruitful, and beneficial art can be to small communities.”
“Usually, art is reserved for open areas and big cities and people with access to wealth. Rural areas are the real epicenter for where art is happening. There is a reciprocal benefit to the artists and the viewers.”
"We wanted our concerts and artwork to be more accessible to the community. Last winter we began a nonprofit and worked to bring artists of every medium to perform, display, and create their work in Princeton."
"My wife, Sam Decker, and I live on Lake Puckaway. I grew up visiting the area and now live in the house my grandparents owned and my mother grew up in. We moved here when the pandemic shut down the Lyric Opera of Chicago and my contract was canceled. Now most of my contracts take me out of the country and I always love coming home again."
Decker was in Portugal when she was sent the mock-up of artist Nick Goettling's crane mural. When she returned to Princeton she was awed by the size and scale of the piece. She said, "This is huge."
Describing PARC, Decker said, "We are incredibly community focused. Our biggest mission is not just sharing the vibrant community, but also bringing people who have never heard of this area and haven't associated the idea that rural life results in a community that is hungry for art. It is amazing how vibrant, fruitful, and beneficial art can be to small communities."
"Usually, art is reserved for open areas and big cities and people with access to wealth. Rural areas are the real epicenter for where art is happening. There is a reciprocal benefit to the artists and the viewers."
Decker has already performed three concerts at the Parlor Hotel and has a fourth scheduled for Friday, October 25. She said, "It will be a program of autumnal splendor with a wide array of music ranging from Strauss to Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel. The concert will be open to the public and tickets can be purchased at https://www.parlor-hotel.com/events."
"Working with PARC has been incredibly special to me. Often, as a performer, one does not get a lot of say in what one performs. I am really excited to have the opportunity to develop my own repertoire and choose music that I am passionate about and arrange the concert theme myself," said Decker.
"We have a lot on the docket. There is a Halloween event, December Charlie Brown Christmas event, and we also hope t do some community caroling the area senior centers. There a band who wants to record an album at the Parlor Hotel. We hope to host writer retreats there in the future."
"We also want to feature the culinary arts by working with local restaurants and super clubs But most of all PARC is for the people of Princeton. We want tO create artistic opportunities that directly involve the community,” concluded Decker.
Wisconsin’s most vibrant small towns often owe a group of artist-friends for that vibrancy. We are building that community of friends here.
Our Investments:
The PARC Department positions local artists and makers as the visionaries that inform our work. We look for better ways to support local artists and to make their often hidden careers more visible.
Public Works invites artists to take up residence in Princeton to work on new art. In exchange for that residency, we set up community interactions that make the creative process visible and leave an artistic mark on our community.
Playgrounds invest in creative co-working and maker spaces with shared equipment that invites more people to try out, learn, make, sell, and share art.
PARC uses the abundant resources available to us to inspire, to invite, and to incubate new and exciting work by thoughtful artists, opening up our community to new perspectives and viewpoints.
In a moment when dreaming and inspiration is needed...Art will always provide our soul with just that.
— Patti Morrell, Founding Donor
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PO Box 421
Princeton, WI 54968
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