Elm Street Mural Revitalization
Dedicated to celebrating Newmarket’s story and fostering civic engagement, the NMSC is proud to collaborate with the Newmarket Arts, Culture & Tourism Commission (ACT) in the effort to revitalize our beloved Elm Street Mural.
THe genesis: LEANN AND LAURENCE
In 1996, Newmarket Business Association member Laurence Beauchesne arrived at Joyce’s Kitchen, one of her favorite lunch spots. She was greeted by drawings of Newmarket by a young artist named Leann Wiley. The gorgeous charcoal images of the mills and our iconic community church clock tower sparked an idea: Laurence approached Leann about painting similar scenes on the old foundation wall of the Great Weave Shed bordering Elm Street. Though she had never painted a mural before, Leann accepted the challenge – agreeing to fill over 300 feet of blank space!
She began painting in 1996, finishing 10 panels that first year and the mural was unveiled in a ceremony with Laurence Beauchesne looking on proudly. Leann completed the remaining images the following summer. Sadly, Laurence didn’t live to see the entire wall finished; in 1998 the mural was dedicated to her, honoring both her love of our community and her foresight in initiating the project – one of Newmarket’s first public art installations.
THE Art: Newmarket time capsule
There are 23 scenes of Newmarket on the wall, stretching from the library to Spring Street, creating an almost cinematic experience. Leann worked from both her own photographs and historical images. The result is a kind of snapshot of the town as it appeared in 1996 as well as a memory book of scenes from the past. The Great Weave Shed, which was dismantled during World War II, sits next to kids having pizza at Gepetto’s; the house of Wiggin Doe, who refused to sell out to the Newmarket Manufacturing Company during his lifetime, is pictured next to a street scene with an homage to one of the artist’s favorite bands, Say Zuzu; horses, Christmas and Mack are pictured at their Great Cove Farm on Bay Road right next to an image of local kids playing soccer. Leann brought Newmarket’s rich history and community to life with vivid colors and strikingly beautiful compositions.
THE WEATHERING: fading AWAY
Sadly, time and weather have taken a heavy toll on this piece of town history and culture. Almost as soon as it was completed, the mural began deteriorating. Cracks in the wall have widened, and chunks of concrete continue to fall. At one point, a vehicle crashed into the wall, creating a jagged crater. The brilliant colors are gone, and many of the images are now ghostly shadows. At this point, restoring the original mural is impossible – much of the paint has peeled off, along with the surface of the wall itself – and repairing the wall to a condition that would allow for the creation of a new mural is cost prohibitive.
THE REVITALIZATION: recapturing the magic
But there is a plan! High quality photos exist of the original mural, including several from the year it was completed. In addition, Newmarket resident Bernard Gordon documented much of the wall in 2004. Using these images—and in collaboration with the artist—ACT will install frames filled with pictures of Leann’s original panels onto a lightly repaired wall, allowing our treasured mural to shine once again. Newmarket’s emerging Art Corridor, which begins at Pocket Park near the historic Engine House, extends along Main Street and will culminate in the bright colors and iconic images of the revitalized Elm Street Mural.
Our goal: $34,000
Join our effort by tapping the donation can below to make your donation today. Remember, every donation counts no matter the size.
Corporations and organizations interested in major sponsorship, please reach out to Mike Hoffman, chair of the NMSC, on our contact page.
We look forward to working together to revitalize our beloved Elm Street Mural.