McHenry downtown mural takes off on butterfly wings

An estimated 100 residents on Saturday morning put their mark on downtown McHenry for years to come.

The volunteers took turns adding paint to a mural, the first for the city.

Dorothy Wolf from McHenry’s economic development office said she wanted to see a mural downtown for about five years.

That is about how long it has been since the city said yes, it would allow murals painted on walls and provided guidelines for artists and business owners to follow, Wolf said.

Even with the city council’s approval and a program in place “it was taking a long time to get anybody to fund” a mural, Wolf said.

After years of waiting, Wolf began working with Dawn Bremer two years ago to get one done.

“I have always been obsessed with murals. The artistry is fantastic, and they have a great feel in the community,” Bremer said. She owns a real estate business downtown, sits on the McHenry Planning and Zoning Commission and is president of the McHenry High School District 156 Board of Education.

What Bremer didn’t have was a wall on her business for an artist to paint, but an adjacent building did. Bremer reached out to the building owner at 1216 Green Street, and worked with Wolf to iron out details and the design.

The wall also needed some repair work, power washing and a coat of primer before the artist, Mauricio Ramirez of Cicero, could start.

“Public art should be accessible to everyone and that is what makes this so special. The viewer engages with butterfly wings to take their photo with. It is a confidence booster for McHenry County,” Ramirez said of the work.

With city council approval, the wall prepped and ready, and the artist commissioned, Bremer, Wolf and volunteers Tim and Sally Santos started fundraising. It took just two weeks to raise $18,000 of the total $26,000 budget, Bremer said.

The final mural, which should be completed this week, will include those butterfly wings, sunflowers and McHenry’s fox logo. Donors who helped fund the project will also have their names subtly worked into the piece, entitled “McHenry Strong.”

When it is completed later this week, the mural will provide a great entrance to the tiny shops planned at Miller Point Park and the McHenry Riverwalk, Bremer said.

However, she isn’t done with plans for the alleyway and mural. Bremer plans to create a nonprofit to add plantings, benches and potentially allow businesses and families to purchase bricks to repave the alley.

“There will be a place to sit and take a break to make it beautiful,” Bremer said.