Art in Richmond
National Endowment For The Arts Project 2024
The Village of Richmond was awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support local art projects in the form of two large downtown murals.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence.
The subject of the murals would be to promote the natural beauty of the surrounding Richmond area and conservation. Earlier in 2024, the Conservation Fund, Illinois Audubon Society, and Openlands purchased nearly one thousand-acres of land in Richmond to be added to the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
More than 200 species of birds, 70 species of fish, 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, 35 species of mammals and hundreds of plant species have already been recorded within the current refuge boundary.
Artists from all over the Chicagoland area, McHenry County, and southern Wisconsin submitted their ideas in an open call for artists. On June 6th, 2024, the Village Board of Trustees chose two finalists to create the Village’s murals: Lynda Wallis (Beloit, WI) and Alexis Lesko DBA Little Mountain Art (Trevor, WI).
