Milton murals project to find new locations

With its run at Milton’s Mill Park set to end Wednesday, July 5, Milton officials are planning to relocate the town’s murals project to new locations around town. 

Among the locations are the Rails to Trails, at Milton Arts Guild’s building along Strawberry Alley and at the Governor’s Walk. Councilwoman Annette Babich said 11 of the 12 murals will move, as one of the murals was purchased by a townsperson as a gift for their father’s 80th birthday.

She said she viewed the project as similar to the town’s recent crosswalk art initiative, as a way to have public displays of art downtown. Once relocated, the murals will be in displays that will be indefinite, but not permanent. She said the murals will be revarnished and attempts will be made to protect them from the elements, although there are no plans to enclose them. 

Town council gave Babich permission June 5 to move forward with relocating the murals. Four of the works were created by teams of students from local schools, while the remaining eight pieces were produced by artists selected by an independent panel. 

The murals project, called Greetings, was unveiled in April, with a theme meant to reflect how the artist would welcome people to Milton. The display comprises 12 paintings connected together into three columns of four paintings each. Public art has been an initiative of the town’s economic development committee, which Babich chairs, as a way to bring more visitors downtown. 

Greetings was the second public art display in Mill Park, with the first being a series of wood sculptures by Lewes-based artist Roy Fitzgerald. The third art installation, planned for July, will feature work by Milton artist Allen Sangree.