Armed with brushes and bright ideas, kids in the Woodstock Summer Recreation Program splashed new life onto a tired old building with a mural they hope will make a lasting impression.
Deputy Town Clerk Lynn Sehwerert first proposed the idea two years ago, and spent that time getting the project into motion. Planning and drawing for the mural took about three weeks, followed by another two weeks of painting. Campers worked with Director Kathryn Abbott on the design and drew outlines on the building for painting.
“These guys are responsible for all of it. It’s not like we hired somebody to come in and design it and then just had them paint by numbers,” Sehwerert said. “They did a great job. They were conscientious, they came in and they did it all. So we’re very proud of them.”
The project was collaborative from the start. “The kids picked the colors,” said camp administrator Linda Mancuso. The summer campers mixed the paints themselves, since most shades weren’t straight out of the can. “It kind of just came about as we went along,” Mancuso said.
As with any large project, the mural evolved over time and strayed from the original design. After painting a large sun casting its rays in one corner, the artists weren’t sure what to add on the other side. Summer camp participant Lucas Gallagher suggested a moon, and fellow camper Sara Klementis added a star hanging on a chain beneath the crescent.
A board in the top left corner features the names of all the campers and counselors who contributed. Many of those campers will eventually return as junior counselors and counselors, gaining work experience and building resumes for college and jobs. “This year we only have about four or five new counselors,” Sehwerert said. “All the rest of them were either campers before and then counselors, and now they’re senior counselors and in college and come here for a summer job. It’s the best summer job around.”
She added that efforts were underway to protect the artwork. “We just want it to be preserved, so we want people to respect it. A lot of work went into that,” she said. “There is a liquid we can spray on it that will try to preserve what’s up there already so that they can’t deface it.”
Planning is already in the works for next summer. One possible project: entering Kingston’s soapbox derby.
Join the family! 
