\u201cWe felt putting up the first mural in Minster would be a history-making day, and I wanted a local artist to be able to put their name on this,\u201d said Mary Oldiges, president of the Minster Historical Society and curator of its museum. \u201cI felt she was the perfect person to commission to do this. She captured exactly what we were looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
About a year ago, a Minster resident donated to the museum a three-ton millstone used to grind wheat into flour. It was an artifact that reflected the historic mills that once populated the village. Oldiges decided to use the millstone to begin creating a heritage park and cultural center in an alleyway next to the museum with the help of the Village of Minster.<\/p>\n
![\"Wright](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2016\/11\/katelyn-puthoff-18113_014-508x347.jpg\")
<\/a>Wright State art major Katelyn Puthoff produced a colorful, three-paneled mural depicting the history of her hometown of Minster. (Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n
Oldiges\u2019 vision was to festoon the wall of one of the alleyway buildings with plaques honoring historic Minster figures and the other wall with a mural. In April, Puthoff was awarded a $1,200 commission to paint the mural.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1832, Minster was mostly comprised of German settlers who brought their farming skills and Catholic faith with them. One of the mural\u2019s panels is a farming scene, and another portrays the village\u2019s original log cabin Catholic church. The third panel depicts the village\u2019s progress, with a street scene from the early 1900s.<\/p>\n
\u201cKate captured three good visions of our past,\u201d said Oldiges. \u201cI think she did a remarkable job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Puthoff spent about six weeks painting the mural in the cafeteria of a former school building. It was installed earlier this fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get a lot of walkers at night in Minster,\u201d said Oldiges. \u201cThey\u2019re just mesmerized.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latex mural, each panel of which is framed by black metal beams, has two protective coatings of high-grade preservative varnish to resist weathering.<\/p>\n
Puthoff admits she was initially surprised at how large the mural panels were \u2014 each of them five feet wide and nine feet tall.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very daunting at first; I was kind of overwhelmed. But looking back now, I\u2019m glad I did it,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m realizing how much of a deal it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
She initially had no idea of what to paint on the panels. After several brainstorming sessions with Oldiges, the two of them came up with the themes.<\/p>\n
![\"Katelyn](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2016\/11\/katelyn-puthoff-18113_026-508x333.jpg\")
<\/a>Katelyn Puthoff’s mural depicts a farming scene, Minster’s original log cabin Catholic church and a street scene from the early 1900s.<\/p><\/div>\n
Puthoff has a love affair with Minster. When her family\u2019s house burned down in January 2015, the Puthoffs were showered with love and support in the form of hugs, gifts, money, food and clothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very, very tightknit community,\u201d Puthoff said. \u201cYou wave to everyone who is going down the street because you know everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Puthoff has been interested in art since the first grade. After graduating from Minster High School, she enrolled at Wright State\u2019s Lake Campus and two years later transferred to the Dayton Campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really has a great art program<\/a>,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have asked for a better experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Puthoff has since been commissioned to do a mural for the Dayton branch of the American Red Cross. She expects to complete it in the spring.<\/p>\n Puthoff is also scheduled to graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in fine arts in the spring. She wants to go on and earn her master\u2019s, teach art at the college level and have her own art studio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Katelyn Puthoff’s mural depicts a farming scene, Minster’s original log cabin Catholic church and a street scene from the early 1900s. Continue reading