Putting past into paintings
Jim Diamond is glad to see that the Pullman railcar is going to be honored as art in downtown Butler.
Diamond of Butler was an engineer at Pullman Standard from 1962 until the factory closed 20 years later.
As he browsed the preview Thursday of what the Walldogs muralists will paint on walls of downtown buildings at the end of July, it was the picture of the Pullman railcar that caught his eye.
“I'm in favor of all of them, but I like the Pullman railcar the best,” he said.
The Butler County Historical Society showcased pictures of the 10 designs that the muralists will create July 28 to 31. The event was held at the Senator Walter Lowrie House.
Like Diamond, Charles Ellenberger of Oakland Township remembered the railcars fondly.
“I remember the lines of those,” he said. “There were so many different colors.”
Ellenberger walked around the room, talking about the Butler community's past, and he was delighted to see it represented by the murals, whether it was the railcar or Armco Steel.
He noted that the murals could be a historical tool for generations who don't know much about the city's past.
“It'll be a great education for the younger people of the city to see how Butler was in the younger days,” he said. “It'll bring back so many things like the Pullman railcar and the (Armco Steel) and the Jeep.”
Other designs shown included icons of Butler's past such as the Bantam Jeep, Gen. Richard Butler, and horse-drawn mail delivery.
Before the murals can be painted, Walldogs organizer Scott Lindley will oversee the priming of the 10 locations around the city next Friday and Saturday. Volunteers will prime the walls of the buildings white to prepare them for the muralists.
About 115 to 120 Walldogs are registered, though Pat Collins, executive director of the historical society, said that number could increase.
The muralists could come from anywhere from Barbados to England, to Canada to Scotland, to New Zealand, said Collins.
Lindley said he and some of the project leaders may arrive a few days early to get to know the city.
“We do that so we can get acclimated, used to the time, used to the temperature, and get the lay of the land,” he said.
Once they're in town, they will need housing, which Collins hopes will be within five miles of town.“We still really need housing that's close,” she said.Those who want to house any of the muralists or want to donate items needed for the murals or who want to volunteer to help can visit www.butlerwalldogs.com or call the historical society at 724-283-8116.When the project gets under way, Collins said some of the muralists will begin painting as early as 6 a.m. “to beat the heat” and take a break in the afternoon to avoid high temperatures.Then they may resume work and continue as late as midnight to 2 a.m.“You never know when they're coming and going,” she said.Beverly Olenic of Butler, who was at the preview, said people in Butler are excited to be able to assist the Walldogs.“We're looking for that involvement with our neighbors and friends in some small way,” she said.Olenic also spoke of the positives of bringing the Walldogs to Butler.“It's so interesting,” she said. “It means a lot to see these changes come to Butler.“It improves things. It brings people here to see what we have to offer. We have made a lot of positive changes in the past decade, and people are interested in making those improvements.”She also expressed pride that the city was chosen by the muralists.“Being selected is quite a distinction,” she said.Lindley is just as excited about coming to Butler.“Hopefully everybody's getting super stoked about that because I don't think they realize how big of an event it is until it's actually happening,” he said.“And once it's happening, they're in the mix, and then it's over they're saying, 'Boy, what just hit us, and can we have some more?'”There will be a July 27 welcome dinner for the Walldogs, likely with tickets for sale to the public, at the Tanglewood Center.At the dinner the Walldogs will show the designs of the murals they will paint.The free documentary “Sign Painters” will be shown at 2 p.m. July 30 at the Grace 2 Calvary Lutheran Church in Butler.An appreciation dinner for the Walldogs will be later that night at the Tanglewood Center, likely with tickets for sale.
Here are the sites where the Walldog murals will be painted with the subjects, the locations, and the sizes in feet listed:Armco Steel, The Butler Eagle, 114 W. Diamond St., 28x9Bantam Jeep, apartment building 123 W. New Castle St., 16x18Butler Brewing Co., Butler Brew Works, 101 S. Main St., 14x16Coca-Cola, Timothy M. Spina, DDS, 140 E. Jefferson St., 12x12Diners and drive-Ins, Evidence Based Recovery, 117 S. McKean St., 34x17Gen. Richard Butler, The Butler Eagle, 242-246 S. Main St., 12x12Horse-drawn mail delivery, Natili North, 204 N. Main St, 12x16Pioneer Cooper Cabin, Pizza Joe's, 226 N. Main St., 16x8Pullman-Standard, parking garage, Vogely Street, 24x8Uncle Billy Smith, Butler County Historical Society, 123 W. Diamond St., 32x8
