SAND CITY >> The we.Mural Festival in Sand City will likely evolve into something different for 2025 as the City Council gave city staff direction to explore an option of a single large-scale mural on a sizable portion of a multi-story building in the city.

Vibeke Norgaard, the city manager in Sand City, said that the Council directed city staff to follow the Art Committee’s recommendation and explore an option with Graniterock to create a mural on the back of its batch plant, an approximately four-story building which is clearly seen from California Avenue in Sand City.

Curators of the last two we.Mural Festivals, Cameron and Crystal Moberg of Talking Walls who successfully curated and managed the 2023 and 2024 art events, have proposed working with Graniterock to create one large commissioned mural of up to 1,500 square feet on its building.

If Graniterock does not agree, the Arts Committee will reconvene and discuss which other options to recommend to the Council, said Norgaard, including to do a year of maintaining the murals the city currently has, and preparing materials to guide folks though the existing murals, and clear coating murals that need it, among other tasks.

“The choice was in part because of the location,” said Norgaard. “The placement of a mural on that (Graniterock) building, which can be viewed from Tioga and California avenues, will be a beacon for visitors and entice them into the city to explore the murals throughout the west end. It is also a decision made because last year the city actually had trouble finding new walls for murals.”

Since its first we.Mural Festival in 2020, Sand City has seen about 36 murals created in this once industrial-centric town. The festivals usually take place in the fall.

“Talking Walls has proposed commissioning designs by Leon Keer, a truly impressive Dutch artist who did the ‘Reset Button’ in Sand City three years ago, and also to pay for renderings from one to two other artists so the city can select the final design they prefer,” said Norgaard. “The proposal includes priming and clear coat, as well as a local artists’ battle as the city has done in the past.”

The $80,000 fee proposed by Talking Walls for this alternative includes the commissioned mural to be installed on the tall backside of Graniterock’s structure with designs from Keer and one to two other artists to present designs for consideration with the final approval resting with the Art Committee, priming if necessary, travel and lodging, paint materials, lift rentals, protective clear coat, and the “Local Artist Battle.”

In its proposal packet to Sand City, Talking Walls said that over the past five years, Sand City has embraced the power of public art through the mural festivals and other art events throughout the year, making way for a variety of expressions of creativity, culture, and community.