Baraboo Public Art Association’s first mural, “Welcome to Baraboo”, was unveiled October 17, 2015. It is located at the southwest corner of Fourth and Ash Street, on the east side of the CenturyLink building.
The mural consists of four panels, left to right, “Cranes and Trains”, “Circus World”, “Aldo Leopold” and a “Welcome to Baraboo” banner mural. A plaque hand painted by Bob Behounek, an internationally recognized sign painter, says “Painted by the people of Baraboo, Summer 2015”.
The “Circus World” panel is a tip of the hat to the Ringling family and the circus that called Baraboo home. Today’s Circus World Museum is a living historical site, with a museum open to the public year- round and live circus performances through the summer.
“Cranes and Trains” reminds us of the creation of the International Crane Foundation (ICF), in 1973 and the decades of work by ICF to protect endangered crane species around the world. Baraboo was once the train center of Wisconsin, with nine arrivals a day.
“Aldo Leopold and The Shack” honors the life and work of Leopold, conservation visionary and author of “A Sand County Almanac”, which set forth an environmental ethic based on his family’s experience restoring acres of worn-out farmland beginning in 1935.
The set of murals was made possible by funding from a Sauk County Arts and Humanities, and Historic Preservation grant, plus contributions from The Aldo Leopold Foundation, Circus World Museum, International Crane Foundation, Baraboo Area Improvement District (BID), Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce and individual donors.
Local historians Dr. Bob Dewel and Joe Ward suggested key events and resource materials for the mural, which were then provided in the call to artists. BPAA selected the proposal by Prairie du Sac artist Bernie Poff. Under the direction of Bernie, his wife Sue and daughter Maggie, the murals were painted by more than 100 community members at four public locations in August and September 2015. After finishing touches were applied by the Poff family, the mural was installed by Baraboo Awning on the CenturyLink building. The community gathered on October 17, 2015 to celebrate this successful first mural of the Baraboo Public Art Association and the many partners who made it possible.
