Sandpiper mural takes art to the community

Berl Tiskus, Lake County Leader, Polson, Mont.
·2 min read

Jun. 19—Venture to the city docks in Polson, and you'll see a brightly colored lake scene on the Sacajawea Park restroom building. It's painted shades of turquoise, dark green, gold, and pink.

Sandpiper Art Gallery and Gifts member Charlie Fudge ramrodding the project last Friday as gallery members painted the scene with help from anyone who came along and could be persuaded to pick up a brush.

"This mural is one of the parts of our campaign to take art into the community," Fudge explained. "It's the first of two projects this year; the other is wrapping art around traffic control boxes."

Sandpiper member Natalie Raffield sketched the scene on all four walls, and other Sandpiper volunteers including Patsy Pohle, Jess Bouchee, Bev Warren-Leigh and Fran Wilkie, wielded brushes. Ace Hardware had generously donated the paint.

"I was in charge of the dark green," said Fudge, who's a woodworker. "I'm not a painter, but I did my best to paint in the lines."

The community art projects continue next year with another mural, this one destined for Boettcher Park.

"We're going to round up all the golf community, kids and adults," Fudge said.

That building is visible from the highway so hundreds of people will see it every day. He also hopes to involve the Polson High School art students, Boys and Girls Club kids, and other community members.

Another aspect of the community art project entails raising money for the Sandpiper, which has been in place since 1972. The gallery has received grants in the past and will continue grant writing to take it into the future.

The mural painters received $400 in donations on Friday "just to help the Sandpiper out," Fudge said.

"We want the community coming together with art," he added.

The nonprofit gallery sponsors two art festivals this summer — Flathead Lake Festival of Art, July 20-21 at Sacajawea Park, and the Courthouse Art Festival, Aug. 10 on the lawn of the Lake County Courthouse. For more information, visit www.sandpiperartgalleryandgifts.com.