A Vessel With A Vision
A Vessel With A Vision
Renowned muralist and Olean native to capture the heart of the city with a piece at Jamestown Community College - Olean Campus
Murals - one of the largest forms of public art - begin in many different ways. Over the years, Olean native Meg Saligman has had communities and cities from all over the world approach her with a mural project, including a site, funding, and a timeline. She then meets with community members, leaders, and stakeholders to gather ideas, hear stories, and create the vision for the mural. When it comes to the Heart of Olean mural project, though, “There is nothing normal about how this process has worked,” said Paula Fox Derwick, Saligman’s best friend and founding member of the Heart of Olean committee
Meg Saligman Studios has created over 40 permanent artworks internationally, including three of America’s largest murals. In her words, “This one comes from the heart - the heart of Olean. My father died last year, and I always owed him a painting above his fireplace.” While Saligman did not get the chance to create this painting, she considered another way to honor her dad and her hometown. “I thought that leaving something in Olean, a place we love and care about very much, would be a wonderful thing. Now was a good time to begin the charge and really spearhead this plan.”
Last year, Saligman and Derwick joined forces to create the Heart of Olean committee and approached the Tri-County Arts Council about becoming the fiduciary non-profit to spearhead the project. The arts council’s positive response has since become a catalyst for a project that has been on the horizon for several years. According to Mikel Wintermantel, Copley Master artist and recently retired executive director of TCAC, the mural project will help launch a much larger public arts program. He explained, “We’d like to have murals around the city of Olean first, and then we’ll branch out to places in all three counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua). Another inaugural program that we’d like to get started is a public sculpture program, too.” Any funds raised above and beyond what is needed for the Heart of Olean mural project will be used toward TCAC’s public arts program.
The Heart of Olean committee also reached out to Jamestown Community College, whose Cattaraugus County campus is on Union Street in Olean. Saligman fell in love with the Library and Liberal Arts Center and proposed the building as the site of the mural, which was approved by campus leadership. Derwick said the next hurdle is planning the funding for such a project, which would normally cost approximately $200,000.
She said, “Meg has stayed very connected to her Olean roots, and she really wants to do this. She’s donating all her time and studio expenses.” As she paints the mural, Saligman will be working with a team of local artists beginning in mid- to late-May through August.
“The start-up costs are high,” Saligman noted. “You need to rent equipment, like aerial lifts that will get you access to the wall, purchase paint, and we plan to get the artist team paid. We want to support the arts in western New York. One of the most expensive supply costs is the top coat. We’ll spray two, which will make the mural last 15 years longer than it otherwise would. It will be done with best practices and materials for exterior conditions, which is good.”
The Heart of Olean committee has a fundraising goal of $100,000, and there are many fun ways to get involved and help them reach their goal! Derwick, who is a member of the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce through her business Fox Financial, approached Meme Yanetsko, GOACC chief operating officer, about doing a corporate challenge for members. The challenge encourages 250 of GOACC’s 500 members to donate a combined $25,000 through contributions in the amounts of $50, $100 and $200. As an additional incentive, Derwick’s Fox Financial will meet, dollar for dollar, the first $10,000 that businesses contribute.
Businesses and individuals alike can visit https://www.tricountyartscouncil.org/heart-of-olean-mural-program/ to participate in the challenge and become a sponsor or donate in any amount. Derwick and Saligman are particularly excited about the business sponsor opportunity, which, for donations starting at $2,500, includes a paint day. Saligman or a member of her artist team will visit an organization or business with a large canvas that has a portion of the mural printed on it and a paint-by-number type of guide. During the paint day, participants can paint directly on the canvas, which is later attached to the building with proprietary adhesives. Approximately 20% of the mural will be created in this manner, and Saligman will be painting the rest with a team of local professional and amateur artists. “I love involving people in every step of the process,” said Saligman. “I love teaching the skills and techniques, and if I leave that in Olean I think that will have an influence on future projects.”
Now a Philadelphia resident, Saligman has made several trips to Olean and been a part of multiple Zoom meetings as part of her “seeking” phase, in which she gathers ideas from community organizations, historians, and more about their vision for the mural. Saligman is currently in the first phase of the design process, and on April 7th, she has her first design meeting with JCC. There will be subsequent meetings involving other community groups before her design is finalized. Though Saligman isn’t ready to share her ideas yet, she hinted that there will be some historical elements and possibly spiritual and literary influences of nearby St. Bonaventure University.
Saligman is excited to bring her vision to life this summer and hopes the mural inspires pride, creativity, and unity. “A collaborative, city-wide project of making something together is exactly the thing that could have an influence as we emerge from the pandemic,” she said. “Part of JCC’s mission is to embrace change and transformation. I think that it helps us focus on where we’ve been, what we’ve been through in the last couple of years, and where we are right now.
Art is a valuable catalyst in helping connect people and helping recognize that we’re in this together.”
Those who would like to get involved with the project, whether through donations, volunteering, or ideas for the mural, can submit their information online at https://www.tricountyartscouncil.org/heart-of-olean-mural-program/.