Mural takes shape

#MiddleburyCT #Greenway #Mural

Artist Sue Healy works on the mural that will cover the gray facade of the Greenway tunnel. She has painted other murals, including one at the Middlebury Public Library, (Marjorie Needham photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

The trolley car that once rolled its way to Lake Quassapaug on tracks that ran along what is now the Middlebury Greenway is returning – on a mural being brought to life by Middlebury artist Sue Healy. We spoke with her in mid-July, early on in the mural creation.

She explained the mural, which will grace the concrete face of the tunnel that takes Greenway walkers under Route 188 between Pies & Pub and Vyne restaurants, will feature the trolley and the Lake Quassapaug trolley station on one side of the arch.

Balancing on the rocks at the base of the wall, Healy was still getting the basic shapes and colors in place on the mural. Once that was done, she could work on the details. The images she is painting are from vintage postcards Middlebury Municipal Historian Dr. Robert Rafford provided, one of a trolley car; the other of the Lake Quassapaug trolley station. The mural will depict the trolley car on the right on its way to the trolley station on the left.

A huge enlargement of the 1910 trolley car postcard can be seen to the right in the photo above, while the enlargement of the trolley station photo is taped to the wall in front of Healy. Also in the photo at the foot of the wall are the smaller scale paintings of mural elements that Healy painted for reference.

The work in progress is part of a larger project undertaken by Middlebury’s Greenway Committee. Committee members Trish Lindenman and Linda Barone explained how it all started. During travels to many U.S. cities in November 2021, Lindenman saw many displays and murals. Artwork she saw on the interior of a Chapel Hill, N.C., tunnel inspired her to begin thinking about what could be done with the Middlebury tunnel. She brought up the idea at a Greenway Committee meeting. “We got excited about it,” Barone said. The committee began considering what sort of artwork should go on the tunnel.

That’s when Greenway Committee Chair Sharon Bosco suggested they talk to Rafford. He made a presentation to the committee that included vintage postcards featuring Middlebury landmarks. “We pivoted from botanicals to something more historical for Middlebury,” Lindenman said. Barone referred to Rafford as “our inspiration.”

Middlebury’s mural will include the state flower (mountain laurel) and state bird (American Robin). She said the design for the left side of the arch has not been finalized, but Fenn’s Pond/Fenn’s Farm are being considered.

Lindenman, who has continued to research murals in a number of other Connecticut towns, discovered the Connecticut Mural Trail. She said she’s excited about the possibility the mural here in Middlebury might become part of the Mural Trail.

The mural on the right side of the arch is Phase One of a larger project to beautify the tunnel. Phase Two will be a mural on the left side of the arch. Then the committee plans to improve lighting inside the tunnel and to add artwork on the interior walls of the tunnel. Bosco said, “It is exciting to be enriching our beautiful town with this positive project.”

The project, of course, takes money, and while the committee had seed funds to get the project started, donations are needed to complete Phase One and continue tunnel improvements. Online donations aren’t yet available, so for now donations are being taken by check. Please make out checks to “Town of Middlebury” and put “Greenway Mural” on the memo line. Mail them to Middlebury Parks & Rec Department, 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762.