"Community" Mural for MES

Mural Revealed October 20th 2025

Mohawk Valley Murals- Teaser Trailer

  Please tag @caseybealdesigns on any shared social media posts of friends and family in front of the mural!

Funding, Support, and Project Vision:

• This mural was made possible in part by the CHARM Program "Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals", an initiative of Governor Kathy Hochul.  I was approached by Spencer Sherry, on behalf of Saratoga Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts, (by recommendation from Stella Yoon of CREATE Council on the Arts) to create a mural that speaks to “community”, with full creative freedom when it came to subject matter and location. 
• My involvement with Saratoga Arts is part of a larger project that has employed 6 artists throughout the greater Mohawk Valley area.  Each of these artists have been filmed by Dylan Avery throughout their creative journey as part of a future documentary.  We artists have been asked to speak to our ties to the community, and share our process in the creation of our individual mural.  The CHARM Program as a whole has reached even more counties across New York, employing local artists and sponsoring large murals for the public to enjoy.
• This mural would not have been possible without the support I received from Principal Irwin, Superintendent Place and John Youmans (Director of Facilities) in helping to streamline this project so that it could be completed before the cold weather moved in! 
• I am also thankful for the MCS community, and greater creative community who has supported me on this journey.  This mural is all about community and it would not have been so successful without everyone's support!

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Time Frame:

• The opportunity to create this mural was presented to each of the 6 artists in mid-August, with an end of October deadline for completion.  From start to finish, my particular mural took about 2 months to complete.  Early stages included a preliminary design proposal, budget proposal, and letter of support signed by the school (in order to receive approval for grant funding).  The wall was then pressure washed by MES Facilities staff in preparation for priming the brick.  Brick is a porous material, so 2 layers of primer was rolled on before adding paint.  This step helps to protect the brick from damage and moisture fluctuation, makes it easier for the paint to adhere to the wall, and provides a smoother surface for the paint to be brushed on.  Priming the wall also helps to provide a bright uniform surface for lighter colors of paint to stand out with fewer layers, saving time and money.  Once the primer dried the quadrants were taped off and rollers were used to apply the bold background colors.  These colors took 2-4 layers, depending on the color, to provide uniform coverage. 
• Variations in weather demanded some delays due to rain and extremely high humidity, along with a couple overnight frost warnings towards the end of the project, but overall, nature was working in our favor.  Once the mural was completely painted, I had to leave it along for 2 weeks to fully cure before adding 2 layers of a UV and weather damage coating to protect it from sun and fluctuations in weather throughout the year. 
• The weather throughout the process ranged from days in the high 80s in September to a couple nights of frost by early October.  
• Most of my painting took place between 10am and 3pm to work within the school schedule, with a morning delay to allow time for the wall to warm and shake off any overnight moisture concerns. 

Location:  

• Middleburgh Elementary School, next to the parking lot
  
• Luckily, the natural elements of the walls location made for a pretty optimal mural location.  The brick wall was fairly new, built level, and located on relatively flat ground.  The wall measures roughly 11.5ft tall by 34.5ft wide, making it easy to reach the top with just a tall ladder if needed (although I was lucky enough to have access to some scaffolding as well for this project). The wall is part of an L shape protrusion from the main building, which made it easy to place a tarp over, protecting it from much of the elements throughout the painting process.  The wall also receives little direct sunlight, which will keep fading of the paint colors to a minimum as time goes by.  Being a stand along wall also helped with drying time providing ample warmth from the suns rays on the back of the wall and generous air flow on both sides throughout the day.  The timing was also ideal in terms of season, as I was able to work between pollen season and late autumn, when leaves and tree fluff would have been a real nuisance with a wall of wet paint.  
• I had a couple location ideas in mind, but really loved the opportunity to create a mural at the Elementary School to brighten the day for students, teachers/staff, and parents while waiting in the pick-up line.  As the parent of a student in the school, and MCS alum, this location held extra meaning for me.

Design Vision:

• I came up with a primary concept, tweaking preliminary designs after setting up at the MES Ice Cream Social before the start of school this year. I asked members of the MES community what they enjoy most about the area and specifically activities that they enjoy outdoors with their family.
• I wanted the mural to be fun and colorful, while speaking to my connection with the area.  The mural depicts the 4 seasons, with playful scenes in each one of local wildlife enjoying the outdoors.  Each scene further speaks to the feeling of community by depicting activities that I enjoyed as a child, and have been able to enjoy with my own child upon my return to the area (and I believe many families will also be able to relate to).
• The central images depict a groundhog and owl reading a book that arcs into a rainbow.  These images represent knowledge and growth, the importance of connection, and the power that learning has to make our world a more beautiful and accepting place for everyone. 
• My intention for this mural is to bring smiles to faces, inspire young artists, encourage families to spend more time together enjoying the outdoors, and create an opportunity for conversation.
• Each critter was drawn free-hand directly onto the wall, referencing images I have taken over the years exploring backroads, enjoying meals with family and friends, quiet walks or time in the garden, and visiting with local Wildlife Rehabilitators.  
• I planned a rough design out on graph paper so I knew approximately were to add each critter on the wall.  Each square on the graph equaled a 6x6 inch square on the wall.  Rather than draw or project a grid system, I simply took out my measuring tape to mark approximate location.

Technique and Materials:

• All supplies were purchased locally, will a majority of materials purchased at Middleburgh Hardware
• I used exterior house paint for the mural, after 2 coats of primer specially formulated for brick, and finished with 2 layers of a protective clear coating.  
• I chose not to spray paint the design for multiple reason, primary ones being safety and experience.  I do not have as much experience with spray paint.  Spray paint also requires extra safety precautions, like goggles and ventilation masks, which I prefer not to have on in hot weather.  Proximity to students and a school exit ,that receives children throughout the day, was also a concern.
• The primer and quadrants were taped off with Frog Tape.  I cut in the lines from the tape with a brush for the first layer and then stuck to a roller for the large areas
• I used scaffolding and a tall ladder to reach the high areas
• For custom color areas that I thought might need multiple layers, like some of the rainbow colors, I mixed paint in smaller containers with lids so I would have an exact color match later on, in case I needed touchups or additional layers of paint. 
• Most of the time I just held a paint rolling tray or paper plate for easy mixing, applying a silhouette-like midtone base for each area, and then adding highlights and lowlights after the base layer had dried.  On other areas, like the frog and pumpkins, which required more blending,  I tried to work quickly and with broad strokes.  This was made more challenging during the warm sunny days, as the paints work time was significantly shortened.

Fun Facts:

• The hardest part of this project, for me, was being so exposed throughout my creative process.  I am an introvert by nature.  I cherish my space and privacy.  Creating such a large piece of work for the public to see from start to finish was very far out of my comfort zone.
• This was the largest mural I have painted to date.
• This was my first time painting directly on a brick wall.
• The Mural Reveal was not only the public's first time seeing the mural without the scaffolding and tarp, it was my first time too!
• For 3 days, following the reveal, I met with each of the K-6 art classes for a Q&A about the mural.  Their questions have been an immense help in curating the content that was just covered. 
• No AI or projector was used in the creation of this mural.  *although I am not against the use of projectors by other artists, or myself, of original images for larger scale work.