WILLIAMSON — A dedication for the Wayne County Bicentennial Mural is set for Sunday, June 29 at the First Baptist Church of Williamson from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Deb Hall, director of the Wayne County Historical Society, said the seven-panel, 1,984-square-foot artwork can be viewed in its entirety on the south wall of the Thatcher Company building along Route 104 in Williamson, and the safest recommended viewing location is directly across the street at McDonald’s on Pearsall Street near the intersection of Route 21.
Created to honor Wayne County’s 200th anniversary (1823–2023), Hall said the mural is a “dynamic, colorful and artistic history lesson” that highlights seven major themes in Wayne County: The Land, Settlement, Communities, Celebration, Agriculture & Dairy, Industry, and Towns & Tourism.
“These panels depict some of the many diverse and iconic images that define the heritage of Wayne County in breathtaking visual detail,” Hall said.
The project was led by local historians Gene Bavis (Walworth), Caryn Devlin (formerly of Marion), Rosa Fox (Huron), Steve Heald (Sodus), and Perry Howland (Williamson).
Hall said the themes were carefully selected and developed in collaboration with the mural design team of Jean Bell (Ontario), Linda Bell (Galen/Clyde), and Alicia Linzy (Lyons).
“This teamwork ensured that every town and topic was meaningfully represented,” Hall said.
All of the painting was done by Mural Mania, under the direction of Mark DeCracker, with artistic contributions from Cory Reynolds, Kaylinda Schuhart, Vicki Guggenbickler, Mark Williams, Christina Lauber, Breanne Dohn, Bev Owens, Rachelle Powers, Joy Reynolds, and other local and visiting artists.
“This mural is basically seven murals in one,” explained DeCracker, who has been painting murals in Wayne County for decades.
The Wayne County Historical Society helped manage the mural’s coordination and budget.
“This mural is a three-year collaboration of historians, artists, and sponsors and the end result is a symphony of art that we hope will inspire the next generation,” said Hall.
Wayne County Bicentennial Committee and the Wayne County Historical Society also expressed thanks to the Thatcher Company of New York for hosting the mural on their building and to Altra Rental and Supply, Inc. (Ontario) and Dobbins Painting & Contracting (Lyons) for use of their scissor lifts through the summer of 2024, which made this “monumental public artwork possible.”
The Bicentennial Mural is also the result of generous support from Bicentennial community donors and sponsors over the past three years, Hall added.
The dedication event is open to the public. RSVP at WayneHistory.org/events.
The event will also note the release of a commemorative book that will feature artwork from the mural’s story and recap the full breadth of Bicentennial events. For more information, follow the Wayne County Bicentennial Facebook page @WayneCounty200 or visit waynehistory.org/bicentennial.