Sterling’s most colorful mural, a celebration of Latino culture, to be restored

STERLING – The artist who created “Adelante,” Sterling’s most vibrant historical mural, is coming to town to restore the artwork in time for the unveiling at this year’s Fiesta Day parade.

“Adelante,” which celebrates the town’s Latino community, was painted in 1999 by Chicago artist Robert Valadez on a wall on the east side of the 300 block of Avenue C, on the west wall of Napa Auto Parts near County Market.

Adelante is Spanish for “come in,” or “go forward.”

The Sauk Valle Area Chamber of Commerce and Sterling Main Street’s Keystone Group, a committee created 2018 to get younger residents to discuss revitalization ideas and form project task forces, revamped Sterling’s defunct Mural Society late last year.

The new committee inspected the city’s 20 murals, and set priorities for their maintenance.

“Many of them just need a good cleaning and resealing to protect them,” said Janna Groharing, Main Street’s executive director. “Some need a few touch-ups, and some need some major repairs.”

Restoring “Adelante” was chosen to be the first project, and Valadez agreed to return to the city on Aug. 16 for a two-week restoration effort.

It will be rededicated at this year’s 69th annual parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Sept. 17 in Rock Falls, and comes over the First Avenue bridge to end in Sterling.

Mural maintenance in general “will be ongoing throughout the year ... as planning and fundraising efforts take place to address some of the more detailed repairs needed to others,” Main Street said on its website.

That work depends largely on community donations, Groharing said.

Restoring “Adelante,” for example, will cost $10,000., to pay Valadez and his assistants, she said.

“It’s going to take the masses to make this happen, and not just a few of us, and it’s not going to be an overnight thing,” Groharing said. “I anticipate this happening over several years as fundraising permits.

“We’re hoping to be able to add a few new fun ones along the way as we restore the historic ones.”

Donations to help with the restorations can be made on Main Street’s website, www.sterlingmainstreet.org, or dropped off or sent to Sterling Main Street, 15 E. Third St., Sterling, IL 61081; write “murals” in the check’s memo field.

Call 815-626-8610 or email info@sterlingmainstreet.org for more information.

A guide to a walking tour of all the city’s murals also can be found on the website.