Congrats to the water color ladies

Story From the Daily Harold

Sisterhood and history will soon be on display in American Fork.

The visual arts department of the American Fork Arts Council has been chosen by UTA to paint a mural depicting the history of the city. The art will be displayed at a new bus stop at 400 North and 900 West.

The area's history from ancient to modern will be depicted, including Fremont petroglyphs, pioneer log cabins, Historic American Fork City Hall, and even the much lauded American Fork High School Band.

"We decided what was important in American Fork and painted it," said artist Merianne Nelson, part of a group of women who have met weekly to paint for more than a decade.

The women affectionately call themselves "Sydney's Girls" in honor of long-time arts volunteer Sydney Thomas, who spends much of her time, without pay, helping organize community arts events.

The women were chosen to paint the mural after Thomas entered them in a UTA contest.

"The ladies were here painting and they decided they would like to do it," Thomas said. "There were seven or eight that pooled their strengths and decided what to put on the mural."

Artist Diane Seabring said the work is group therapy. A former American Fork resident who now lives in Genola, she drives more than an hour each way to attend the weekly painting sessions.

"We've been through deaths of spouses, illness, surgery; we are a tough group," she said. "We are a sunshine group of ladies."

"We enjoy each other and we bring a sense of belonging," said artist Arlene Newcomb. "We all take art very seriously. We like to get together and enjoy each other but yet we still get to do our art and support each other, and that is not something we get to do unless we are in this group."

The women said they hope their mural will remind passers-by of how far the city has come in its history, how far back that history stretches, and how much community pride and effort has gone into making American Fork what it is today.

The community-created mural program is "a new program, we just barely launched it," said Gerry Carpenter, UTA spokesman. Murals in several counties will be installed in upcoming weeks.

"The idea is that it is a community art collection, something that improves the bus stops to make them more aesthetically pleasing and attractive, and they tend to deter vandalism and graffiti."

The "Sydney's Girls" informal painting group meets each Tuesday on a come-as-you-can basis from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fee is $10 for 16 hours of painting, and all mediums are welcome. Watercolor classes will begin on June 19 and cost $25 for two three-hour classes. For more information, call the American Fork Arts Council office at (801) 763-3081.