Valley arts council lays out project list

Sky Valley Arts Council President Mary Ritzman presented the board's agenda last Wednesday during the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Now that the nonprofit has had a year to better establish, Ritzman said the arts council has identified several project goals that include the Sky Valley Fire Hydrant Art project, renovations at the Startup gym and restoration of the three-panel firefighters' mural on the Sultan Post Office.

"What we're trying to do is bring more and more recognition to what the arts are in this area,GÇ¥ Ritzman said during the Aug. 8 meeting at Sultan City Hall. "We're sort of grassroots right now, trying to get started.GÇ¥

The arts council's mission is to serve as an umbrella organization to help promote and facilitate artistic activities and events. By establishing partnerships with the Sky Valley's expansive artistic community, the council hopes to be able to provide a foundation upon which the arts can grow and flourish. -á -á -á

Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director and arts council secretary Debbie Copple said promoting the arts could be an important way to generate tourism revenue and enhance the economic vitality of the Sky Valley, in addition to the region's outdoor recreation activities. An active and robust arts council could play a key role in improving economic conditions in the area, she said.

"Our community isn't just outdoor recreation,GÇ¥ Copple said. "It's really, really an important driver in our economy, for sure. It's what brings the majority of people out to the Sky Valley, and we understand that. But they are not the total market.GÇ¥

In addition to several arts projects the council is supporting, members hope to establish an educational component to be headed by award-winning bronze sculptor Kevin Pettelle. A Sultan resident since 1980 and arts council board member, Pettelle's work has been commissioned by the cities of Lacey, Wenatchee, Seattle, Oak Harbor, Anacortes and the Port of Everett.

Pettelle has worked with thousands of fifth-grade students in the Wenatchee area, and he enjoys teaching young people about his craft.

"We have so many artists who choose to live here in the Sky Valley, and we need to do a better job of finding a way to support them,GÇ¥ Copple said, "and to support the culture that they need in order to thrive.GÇ¥

Mural restoration

Painted in 2008 by Monroe muralist David Hose, Sultan's three-panel mural honoring the Sultan Fire Department has fallen into disrepair. The mural is located on the exterior of the Sultan Post Office, which formerly housed the city's fire department.

The sections of the mural are painted on the former fire department's garage bay doors, and are collectively meant to honor and memorialize different eras in the history of the Sultan Fire Department.

Exposure to the elements faded the mural dramatically, causing the paint to peel away.

Sultan Grants and Economic Development Coordinator Donna Murphy said the city commissioned Hose to paint the mural after the city's 2005 centennial celebration, using funds leftover from the centennial committee.

"We did our research; we did our due diligence,GÇ¥ Murphy said. "We bought what we thought was marine-grade wood; yet it still weathered really badly.GÇ¥

Hose said that he hates seeing the firefighters' mural so deteriorated.

"This mural was one of the most inspiring murals I've done in the Sky Valley,GÇ¥ Hose said.

Hose's "Historical Scenes of the Sultan Fire DepartmentGÇ¥ mural features past and present firefighters, some still living and others who have died. The center panel features Doris Jelinek, whose late husband, Louis, worked for the city and served as a firefighter for many years. Jelinek, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, fondly recalled bringing her husband his lunchbox, exactly how it's represented in the mural.

Other firefighters depicted in the mural include Andrew McLaurin, Ron Bertholf and Merlin Halverson, who has been the Sultan fire chief since 1998.

"I'm probably the greatest fan of our own Norman Rockwell here. He is a great painter and I love the artwork here, it's beautiful,GÇ¥ Halverson said.

The Sky Valley Arts Commission is currently fundraising for the mural restoration project. Rather than having Hose repaint the work and risk having it deteriorate again, Sultan Pastor Steve Boek will work with digital images taken of the mural when it was freshly painted and still very vibrant. A sign-manufacturer by trade, Boek will transpose the images onto an aluminum material that will be more resistant to scratches and weathering.

"It is a great historical document,GÇ¥ Halverson said. "It's extremely well done, it's good for the city, it's wonderful for the fire district and I'm just excited that we're going to fix it.GÇ¥

Startup gym

The Startup gym renovation project is in the planning stages, the arts council negotiating with the Sultan School District, which owns the historic building. Constructed in 1937, the Startup gym has fallen into disrepair, and is in immediate need of a new roof and gutter system.

Copple is hopeful the council will be able to work out a lease agreement to allow the renovation project to move forward.

Sky Valley Fire Hydrant

The Sky Valley Fire Hydrant Art project is a collaboration by the Sky Valley Arts Council, Snohomish County Fire District No. 5, the city of Sultan and the Sultan Ace Hardware store.

In addition to contributing to the beautification of the city through artistically enhanced fire hydrants, the hydrant project is also a fundraising opportunity to help the council raise funds for the Startup gym renovation project.

Local artists wanting to paint their own fire hydrants are invited to submit their design ideas to the council for a juried review.

Fire hydrants can be decorated for a sponsorship fee of $25, plus the cost of the paint. Individuals not interested in painting a fire hydrant themselves can opt for the $50 sponsorship option, which matches their hydrant project to an individual artist or team.

The Sky Valley Fire Hydrant Art project is being spearheaded by Sultan resident Susie Walker, who recently facilitated a children's art contest to determine who would paint the first hydrant. The winner of the contest was Brooke Jackson, who received top honors for her blue and yellow minion-themed fire hydrant design.

"She'll be doing her hydrant with her parents' assistance as part of a promo just to get people working on it,GÇ¥ Copple said.

For more on the Sky Valley Arts Council, visit www.skyvalleyartscouncil.com. For more information on the Sky Valley Fire Hydrant Art project, visit the Facebook page-áor email Susie Walker at susiew62@hotmail.com.

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