i can't wait to see the completed mural

i haven't been out winsted way in a few years. i used to take many a drive up rt 44 and just keep going. i think it may be time again

Ellen Griesedieck, a professional photographer and artist, stands on a ladder in front of a her painting that will be but a part of mural that, when finished will measure about five stories tall and be 120 feet in length. She is coordinating a massive art project The American Mural Project (formerly Wall of America.) (RICHARD MESSINA)


American Tapestry Gigantic Winsted Mural To Portray Country At Work
Story By JESSE LEAVENWORTH The Hartford Courant July 23 2006

The planned mural - about 1,000 square feet bigger than a basketball court - includes a 47-foot-long section of blown-glass ocean waves and rocket flames, human figures more than 20 feet tall, soaring cuts of marble and metal, and one of the largest collections of sports autographs anywhere.Central to this Mount Rushmore of interior art is a tiny woman who says her grand vision is inspired by the American worker's energy and creativity.From her Sharon studio, Ellen Griesedieck is coordinating the American Mural Project, a three-dimensional work to be placed on permanent exhibit in a former textile mill in Winsted. Before she started the project, Griesedieck, 58, spent years photographing and painting pictures of steel and foundry workers, miners and oil riggers, football coaches, surgical teams, jet airliner assemblers and many others who make the engine of America run."This is really a portrait of this country," Griesedieck said of the mural. "Before this is over, there's one thing I can guarantee: You walk into this thing and you will find yourself."Eight years into the effort and still several years from completion of what is estimated to be a $4 million project, Griesedieck said she's about to launch a major fundraising push. About $400,000 is in hand, she said.The project has attracted some prominent benefactors, including actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, artist Frank Stella and cardiovascular surgeon and frequent Oprah guest, Dr. Mehmet Oz...