Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Mural

Reynolds Park Mural
Reynolds Field Park, 810 E Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703

It’s installed! The first piece of art on a Water Utility building in Madison since it was founded in 1882! I’m so grateful to all of the community members, city members and others who helped to make this happen. In particular I’d like to thank Pat and Mary of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association for their dedication in making this dream come true. This is my home and I’ve been wanting to paint a mural in our area for a long time, so it was a gift to be invited to paint for my neighborhood.

With public art in the city of Madison, approvals need to happen, so prior to the painting even beginning, many meetings occurred and emails were exchanged. The mural is 40’ wide x 10’ high and painted on 10 metal panels. A lot of work went into the design, preparation and final installation of the piece. I ordered the panels which were then prepared by a professional painter who sanded and primed them on both sides. We then installed the panels in a warehouse so I could paint them over the course of 2 months. It was rather chilly during the final month of painting, so heated socks and a warm coat were a must! The final installation on the fence happened in the cold of December, when you always hope for a sunny and warm day, however, we were met by one that was frigid and dreary. The installation took a full day, and while we installed the second last panel, a giant eagle flew over, the first I’ve ever seen in the city of Madison. This was no doubt a blessing from the spirit of nature, and I’m humbled by the experience.

With this mural came a responsibility to represent the cultural past of our neighborhood. With respect, I worked with archaeologists to understand the Native American history and the landscape. Also included is African American history and the presence of our own contribution to this community, shown in the heart. You can find the meaning of the mural here.

I invite you to visit this mural in person, and receive its meaning through your own eyes and heart.

Much love,
-Audifax

I’d like to thank:

Mary Lang Sollinger - Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association
Patricia Kelly - Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association
Marcus Pearson - Madison Water Utility
Eli - Next Wave Studios - Warehouse Rental
Chad Gulseth - Seidr Solutions - Installation of Mural
Preston - Madison Makeovers - Sanding / Priming Panels
Bob Klebba - Installing the girts
Robin Room - Fund raising
Madison Arts Commission
Mark Fraire - Director of Dane County Arts
Karin Wolf - City of Madison Arts and Culture Administrator
Doug Vanhorn - Madison Water Utility

Huge thank you to the community and anyone I may have missed!

Mural being painted in the warehouse

Installation day!

Huge moment.