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Historic Preservation Commission hears introduction to 'Murals in Menomonie' project
Summary
On Feb. 9 the Historic Preservation Commission heard a presentation on 'Murals in Menomonie,' a one‑time June 2026 event proposing 14 murals by 150+ visiting artists; organizers said some murals will be inside the local historic district and will require Certificates of Appropriateness.
The Historic Preservation Commission on Feb. 9, 2026 heard an introduction to the one‑time “Murals in Menomonie” project, a proposed June 2026 event that organizers said will bring more than 150 visiting artists to paint about 14 public murals around Menomonie City.
Wade Lambrigtsen, speaking for the organizers, said the event will host WallDogs mural painters and that most murals will be painted on attached panels rather than directly on masonry; he said two murals are planned on brick, and one of those would be on raw brick. Lambrigtsen said panels planned for the project would be aluminum sheets.
Tammy Simon told the commission the organizers will create an endowment to fund ongoing mural maintenance. Commission members pressed for details about what the endowment would cover — paint only, or structural and building repairs — and Simon clarified the fund is intended to support mural maintenance, not the underlying buildings.
Commissioners raised conservation questions. Joshua Kohnke said Nova Colors paint appears to be breathable and unlikely to harm brick, and Lambrigtsen described the proposed preparation steps for brick walls: cleaning, re‑priming and painting before projecting and painting the mural.
The commission did not take formal action on the project at the Feb. 9 meeting. Staff and organizers agreed that murals planned within the historic district will return with Certificate of Appropriateness applications; commissioners asked that future CoA submissions include mock‑ups or written color descriptions when full color proofs are not yet available. The commission also requested that existing mural guidelines be included in the packet for the next meeting.
Next steps: project organizers will submit CoA applications for any murals within the historic district, and staff will include the mural guidelines with the commission’s March packet.
