By Spring Valley EDA – July 19, 2022
There is a colorful new addition welcoming people to downtown Spring Valley! The City of Spring Valley unveiled its new Spring Valley Creek Mural on Monday, July 18th, at the S&S Bait Shop, located at 104 East Main Street in Spring Valley, MN 55975.
The Spring Valley Creek Mural is made possible through a Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) Paint the Town Grant, along with local community support and collaboration. Tim Penny, President of SMIF, addressed the audience at the official unveiling. “The only thing we require for the free paint that we provide is that it has to be collaborative, with lots of community members involved, and you certainly have that!” Penny added, “these murals are a point of community pride, and SMIF is happy to be a small part of that.”
Osterud-Winter Foundation Trustee, Sue Kolling, shared that “one year ago, Steve Tammel and Springy (Steve Volkart, Owner of S&S Bait Shop) were standing right here during the Ag Days fishing contest. Steve looks at the wall and says, Springy, you need a mural! A year later, we have our mural!” Kolling added that she “can’t say enough about the community collaboration on this project. It has been amazing,” and offered a challenge to the community to develop the next project to let people know that Spring Valley is a great place to live.
Spring Valley Area Community Foundation Board Member Dave Foster also addressed the audience. He thanked the project partners and said the Foundation was “very pleased to be a part of this project.”
The Spring Valley Creek Mural is an 8′ x 16′ painting designed by local artist Andrea Hindt and painted with the help of community volunteers. Over the last few weeks, the mural has slowly taken shape indoors at the Spring Valley Community Center, where people could catch a glimpse of the work in progress at different community center events. The completed mural is displayed on the side of the S&S Bait Shop. It is visible to people crossing Spring Creek into Spring Valley’s Historic Downtown from the east on Fillmore County Road 1.
“There are still a few things I need to touch up,” says artist Andrea Hindt, “including adding the spots on the trout. I hope to get that done by this Wednesday for our Wednesdays on Broadway event.”
People are encouraged to scan a QR code added to the mural’s bottom right corner. The QR code directs people to the mural’s story, the various pieces of Spring Valley’s story that it incorporates, and a list of community partners who helped make it possible.
SMIF’s Paint the Town Grant is awarded to communities of less than 10,000 residents for projects that, among other things, will have a positive visual impact on the community. Projects require volunteer participation for at least 50% of the work. Chris Hahn, Economic Development Authority Director for Spring Valley, notes, “We were incredibly fortunate to have support from the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation, the Osterud-Winter Foundation, Spring Valley Public Library, Kiwanis Club, our local Ace Hardware, S&S Bait Shop, and all of the community members who donated their time, energy, and talents on this project.”
Questions regarding the Spring Valley Creek Mural should be directed to Spring Valley EDA Director Chris Hahn via email at director@springvalleyeda.org or call 612-327-9729.
