Date: Fri 12-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

mural-David-Merrill

Full Text:

Open House For Mural

(with cut

An open house will be held on Sunday, March 14, from 1 to 4 pm, to mark the

completion of the murals by artist David Merrill in Edmond Town Hall.

The event will include an unveiling of the plaque, commemorating those who

have made the mural possible. Refreshments will be served.

Mr Merrill will be on hand to discuss his artwork, which was completed in two

phases over the past 10 years.

The event is being held by the Mural Fund Part II Committee, including Marie

Sturdevant, chairman; Donald Studley, treasurer, Carol Mattegat and Patricia

Gaffney.

The artist, who began painting the murals that line the staircases in the town

hall more than 10 years ago, finished his work recently, after having to

repaint a section of wall that was damaged by a leak.

"It showed the firehouses," Mr Merrill explained. "The plasterer wiped out in

20 minutes what it took me two weeks to paint, but I'm using this opportunity

to show the additions which have been made to the firehouses since they were

first painted."

"The first murals [along the building's southern staircase] touch on the

architecture and scenes important to the town," he explained. "The second part

[on the northern staircase] features the people and the names important to the

town, including those today who are keeping up the great [historic]

homesteads. It's different from the first side - and I think it should be."

Originally from Monroe, David Merrill lived in Southbury for several years,

where he painted murals in the town hall there. He moved to Maine, then

returned to Southbury and was living there when he began the murals in Newtown

in 1984. He has since moved to Newtown, where he lives with his wife, Beryl,

an assistant tax collector in Newtown, who he met while painting the murals in

the town.