SALISBURY — Before it is likely turned into a hotel, a brick wall belonging to the town’s former police station recently received a makeover with a new mural guiding folks to the beach.
“It’s run-down, looks horrible, and has graffiti on the wall. So, I applied for a grant to paint a mural there, because I’m tired of looking at it,” local artist Donna Keefe said.
Keefe transformed the building’s exterior by including a 14- by 48-foot mural titled “Follow the Fish,” with the painted fish on the wall and sidewalks pointed in the direction of the beach.
She said she was able to complete the project thanks to a $500 grant from the Salisbury Cultural Council as well as leftover money from a grant previously received.
“After I got the grant I went to work. It was huge, and I had to paint primer, put seal around the bricks, so it took a lot of time, but it really does change that walkway when you go to the beach, because it is that passage from the main parking lot heading to the beach,” Keefe said.
The public has already given positive feedback, according to Keefe.
“In the process of doing it and painting, people would actually stop and tell me how they liked it. They thought it looked great and thanked me for it and appreciated that something was being done on that wall because it looked so horrible, and it’s now done,” Keefe said.
Selectmen Chairman Michael Colburn is among those grateful for Keefe’s efforts.
“I love all the public art in our town and I think Donna Keith and the Cultural Council do a good job of doing it,” Colburn said.
The working title of the mural was “This Way to the Beach” but as the design evolved, Keefe felt it was appropriate to pivot to “Follow the Fish.”
“I had a design concept, which was going to have arrows and fish on the wall. But, as I was painting it, and it was very difficult, painting on brick and detailing, but the title in my head changed to follow the fish because they’re directing you in the direction they’re swimming to the beach,” Keefe said.
She then decided to extend the mural all the way to the sidewalk.
“I wanted to make it more fun, and then stenciled it onto the sidewalk with some arrows as well,” Keefe said.
The artwork will only be temporary as a request for proposal for the property was awarded to developer Downeast Residential earlier this year, with plans of eventually developing the location into a hotel.
Downeast’s proposed project includes 10 hotel units and 18 “condo-tels,” which are condo units that could be made available as hotel units above and beyond the 10 hotel units they are proposing. Downeast submitted the highest bid for the property at $800,000.
There is no timetable for when construction will begin since the sale still has yet to be finalized, Town Manager Neil Harrington announced during Monday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting.