Work Continues On the Epic Ode to American Workers

The lengthy process of assembling and installing the massive mural at the heart of the American Mural Project (AMP) in Winsted, Conn., continues, under the direction of artist Ellen Griesedieck.

The mural, which is about 80% complete, offers a salute to American workers and how they have defined this nation, which is appropriate in scale and topic to the setting it is in. 

The 120-foot long, 48-foot high and up to 10-foot-deep three-dimensional painting is so large that two former mill buildings on Whiting Street in Winsted had to be renovated just to house it and the adjacent visitor’s center.

After years of effort, with help from artisans, craftsmen and school children, the mural is expected to open to the public in spring of 2022. So far, the artist has traveled to 17 states to create pieces of the mural with groups in each of those states.

 Griesedieck still has several large sections of the mural to install, as well as additional three-dimensional pieces and components that will be displayed in the ramp gallery.

As work on the mural continues, AMP staff, including Executive Director Amy Wynn, have been holding Open Mill Tours. To check for announcements on upcoming dates, go to www.americanmuralproject.org/open-mill-tours. The tours offer visitors a first-hand sneak peek into the installation process.

In the meantime, programming is being offered for schools, teachers, after-school partnerships, summer enrichment camps and an apprentice-style internship program. 

The Summer Enrichment Programs for kids, tweens and teens, ages 7 to 17, run from June 29 through July 30.

Each week features a different theme and runs Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The programs are led by teaching artists and art educators, and each program offers indoor and outdoor music, art, work and play.

Weekly themes include Latin, jazz and Afro-Cuban music; art projects using materials inspired by Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” (water and stone), Maya Lin’s “Wavefield” (soil and grass), and Ugo Rondinone’s “Seven Magic Mountains” (painted stones); and “dabbling,” with freeform projects such as decorating a treehouse, creating a board game, drawing a comic book or writing a poem. 

To learn about available programs and to register (available spots fill up quickly), go to www.americanmuralproject.org/summer.

  

Ellen Griesedieck is close to completing the American Mural Project. Photo courtesy AMP