The fourth piece of rooftop art on the downtown square is in progress.
The art, “Music Straight from the Heart,” is on the roof of John’s Appliance on the west side of the square. Sheri and Lee Sloan, owners of the building, commissioned local artist Curt Nelson for the project.
Nelson is getting help from Aaron Wendl, a former student of Nelson when he taught art at Panorama. Wendl is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He studied primarily sculpture there, and has worked in foundries in North Dakota and New Jersey.
“Music Straight from the Heart is the fourth piece of art to enhance the view from the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower.
“Renewed Dreams” by Stephanie Hammond was put on the roof of Skeeter Creek Fabricators on the north side of the square in 2015. The art was created on an aluminum sheet and then put on the roof with adhesive. Much of it was taken off in severe weather.
“The Wild Woman on the Roof” is on the west side of the square. The “wild woman” was painted directly on the roof by building owner Nicole Schilling in 2016. She said it represents the “wild” in all women.
“Patches of Greene,” a quilt block, was created by members of Jefferson Matters: Main Street’s Tower View Team. The art is on the corner of Lincoln Way and Chestnut St. The borders are printed directly on the roof and the blocks are applied painted aluminum squares.
The rooftop art project is part of the Tower View Team’s effort to increase the amount of public art in the downtown area.
