The Berlin Arts and Entertainment Committee recently launched a new website as part of a major fundraising effort. The new site, similar to a GoFundMe or KickStarter account, is designed to highlight the upcoming campaigns, especially the new Berlin mural on the Visitor’s Center.
As a state-recognized Arts and Entertainment District, Berlin is required to have a public display of art in order to maintain this important distinction. Last year, the group began researching options for the public art project and, in that process, found local mural artist, John Donato. The A&E group – along with Donato – approached the town leadership with the idea of a large scale mural to be painted on the north facing wall of the Berlin Visitor’s Center. Once the idea was approved, the group set to working out the details of the massive mural.
Arts in Downtown Berlin
Although this is an ambitious undertaking, the A&E group is confident that they can see the project to completion, and fundraising will be ongoing for several years. The different sponsorship levels are named after famous artists like Georgia O’Keefe, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso. Each level rewards the donor with opportunities to paint, earn name recognition, and get free goodies like posters and even a one-year membership to the Worcester County Arts Council. The group hopes donors will see the sponsorships as a personal investment in the arts community of Berlin. The mural project is designed to bring people together in the spirit of creating a lasting tribute to the town and its people, artists, and landscape.
The anticipated cost of the mural is approximately $30,000, which means that engaging the public and finding donor support will be mission critical to the success of the project. The mural will be completed in several phases, the first of which has already been completed and the second is underway.
The new website is www.artsinberlin.org – just click on the DONATE tab at the top. All donations for the mural project on the new A&E website are tax-deductible. For questions about the mural or donations, email donate@artsinberlin.org.
