Something bubbly, something new…that was the motto for Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide and the young adults of his Youth Leadership Council on Saturday morning.
The mayor and youth council members stood with their backs against the side of the Kerstiens Building on Mill Street to take a photo at the city’s newest mural.
The mural is full of differently shaped bubbles surrounded by a circle of words. Each word represents how to say ‘welcome’ in a different language.
Jasper Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council Officer, Deisy Sandoval, says finally dedicating the mural is surreal.
“Well through all the hard work that we put in, all the time, all the morning hours of not getting sleep and coming in for meetings. It all paid off because we finally get our mural and our gathering area and get to showcase it to the community,” she says.
But this newest addition to Downtown Jasper is more than just a new hot spot for photos. Youth Leadership Council Officer, Ben Kizior, explains why.
“Well, it’s an interactive mural and that was one of the main things that we wanted from the start when we decided we wanted a mural. It also depicts the diversity of Jasper. So we did that with the languages. They all say welcome and many different languages,” he says.
Their goal was to bring attention to Jasper’s diversity in a way that stands out.
Youth Leadership Council Officer, Edwin Sanchez, says Holland-based artist Elizabeth Wertman did just that.
“We really just wanted the mural to really pop out and so that a lot of people whenever they’re passing by would see it because there’s a lot of things happening downtown that most people don’t, even notice,” he says.
Along with this mural, the Jasper Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council has also created a new shaded area with picnic tables.
To see the mural with your own eyes, head to the Kerstiens Building at 215 Mill St in Downtown Jasper.
