A vibrant
mural at 12th Street and Hennepin Avenue South uniquely calls attention to the coming
Butcher and the Boar restaurant while also sprucing up a previously nondescript corner.
Local artist
Adam Turner, whose work also adorns
Creative Lighting in St. Paul and the
Surly Brewery in Minneapolis, says, "All the work the company is doing is really upping the beauty of that area. That building was kind of rundown. It’s bringing new life to it.”
The 20-foot by 20-foot mural, which could be enlarged later, pictures a blond-haired woman who is poised with a vintage-looking bicycle. A silhouette of the Minneapolis skyline is behind her while oversized stalks of wheat frames the figure.
It's characterized by fall colors.
On the whole, the image speaks to the clientele the restaurant is planning to attract along with the area’s bike and beer culture, he says. "The mural is about the vibe [the restaurateurs] want to have."
As if to demonstrate that, a woman who resembled the figure in the mural, who had a similar bike, posed in front of the scene one night for a photo.
The mural came together over the summer and fall months.
During that time, the parking lot that the mural faces was being redone, so he worked in the mud. Nevertheless, he’s enjoyed being in the elements.
Already attracted a lot of comments from passersby who spotted him working. “Hopefully a lot of people will see it and like it.”
He hopes it paves the way for other businesses to do more work like this and “not be afraid to come up with a proposal that’s a little fun and expressive of its views.”
Source: Adam Turman, mural artist, Butcher and the Boar
Writer: Anna Pratt