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Record Group 130

Processed by DS Date: 1/14/2013

Date Span: 1992-2010

Extent: 2.5 cu ft

Organizational Sketch: In the summer of 1992, Larry & Sue Register and Felton & Jean Woodham visited the town of Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada, where they discovered a series of thirty-two skillfully executed murals that depicted the history of Chemainus and the surrounding area. Returning from their vacation, the Registers suggested to Don Fabiani, Executive Director of the Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, that a similar project would benefit downtown Dothan and the Wiregrass region.  Larry Register, a former mayor of Dothan, also contacted The Downtown Group because of its mission to preserve and enhance the old central business district in Dothan.  The principals involved successfully invited Karl Shultz, who led the Chemainus effort, to lead a mural project workshop in Dothan.

The City of Dothan, Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Group endorsed the Wiregrass Festival of Murals project.  The Wiregrass Festival of Murals expects to fund a total of 30 murals prepared by nationally and internationally recognized artists.  

The primary objective is to encourage and stimulate the growth of the local economy through the development of tourism while providing a catalyst for downtown redevelopment, as well as enhancement of the cultural arts community and a documentation of the history of the region.

In 2010, the Wiregrass Festival of Murals ceased operating as an independent agency affiliated with The Downtown Group and became a committee of the Wiregrass Museum of Art.

See also Wendell H. Stepp Papers, RG 110; Wiregrass Museum of Art Records, RG 127; Doug Purcell Papers, RG 143.

Scope / Content:  Documents the founding and operations of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals as well as detailing the creation of each mural.  Administrative records include governing documents, meeting minutes, financial documents, information on relations with The Downtown Group, and general files.  Files on mural design and creation include copyrights, award letters, contracts, mural renderings, research materials providing background for murals, narratives, grant information, the transparencies used for the mural wall projections, artist information, correspondence, mural prints and event posters.

Organization: Organized into 2 series with corresponding sub-series, as follows:

• Series 1—Administrative Records, 1992-2010 [61 Total Files & 1 Plaque]: Documents the various functions required to create the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Organized into 6 Series.
  • Subseries 1.1--Organization, 1992-1997 [9 Files]: Documents activities necessary to establish the Festival of Murals. Contains forms to and from the IRS establishing the Festival of Murals; charter documents, such as by-laws; articles of incorporation and dissolution; contracts granting easements to paint the murals; copyright information such as certificates of registration; funding contracts; and National Register of Historic Places - nomination forms. Arranged alphabetically by file title.
  • Subseries 1.2--Meeting Minutes, 1992-1999 [8 Files]: Documents the various committees that decided the topics, location, funding, and management of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains minutes and agendas for various committees on the Wiregrass Festival of Murals, includes Board of Directors, Mural Project Committee, Subject Committee, Ways & Means Committee. Arranged by committee.
  • Subseries 1.3--Finances, 1992-1996 [14 Files]: Documents steps taken to fund Festival of Murals. Contains grant applications and awards; bids; donations; bank records; expense and repair reports creating and preserving murals. Arranged alphabetically by file title.
  • Subseries 1.4--Downtown Group, 2004-2007 [8 Files]: Documents the activities of the original parent organization of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains certificates; correspondence; information on special events; newsletters; budgets and membership lists. Arranged alphabetically by file title.
  • Subseries 1.5--General Files, 2005-2010 [22 Files]: Documents the history of Dothan area, the history of the Mural Project and the various promotional celebrations. Contains facts about Dothan and the Downtown District; publications about the Mural Project, information on other mural cities, such as Chemainus, B. C., Portsmouth, OH, and Stubenville, OH; reference material for murals; publications; memos; and miscellaneous photos. Arranged alphabetically by file title.
  • Subseries 1.6--Awards, 2009 [1 Plaque]: Documents achievements of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains awards presented to the Wiregrass Festival of Murals.
• Series 2—Mural Creation, 2002-2007 [54 Total Files & 8 Oversized items]: Documents the individual murals of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals and the steps needed to create each one. Organized into 2 Series.
  • Subseries 2.1--Murals, 2002-2007 [30 Files]: Documents the creation of the individual murals in the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains information on the murals provided by the Festival of Arts events; copyrights; award letters; contracts; mural renderings; research materials providing background for specific murals; narratives; grant information; the transparencies used for the mural wall projections; mural prints and event posters. Arranged by mural in the order of their creation.
  • Subseries 2.2--Reference Materials, 2002-2007 [24 Files]: Documents information used to create the murals that was not directly connected to a specific mural. Contains artist resumes; correspondence; contracts; mural locations; postcards with mural images; information on potential murals; and reference materials offering background information on the mural subjects. Arranged alphabetically by file title.

Access/User Limits?: Open per Donor Agreement.

Inventory:

Series 1—Administrative Records, 1992-2010 [61 Total Files & 1 Plaque]: Documents the various functions required to create the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Organized into 6 Series.

Subseries 1.1--Organization, 1992-1997 [9 Files]: Documents activities necessary to establish the Festival of Murals. Contains forms to and from the IRS establishing the Festival of Murals; charter documents, such as by-laws; articles of incorporation and dissolution; contracts granting easements to paint the murals; copyright information such as certificates of registration; funding contracts; and National Register of Historic Places - nomination forms. Arranged alphabetically by file title.

Subseries 1.2--Meeting Minutes, 1992-1999 [8 Files]: Documents the various committees that decided the topics, location, funding, and management of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains minutes and agendas for various committees on the Wiregrass Festival of Murals, including Board of Directors, Mural Project Committee, Subject Committee, Ways & Means Committee. Arranged by committee.

Subseries 1.3--Finances, 1992-1996 [14 Files]: Documents steps taken to fund Festival of Murals. Contains grant applications and awards; bids; donations; bank records; expense and repair reports creating and preserving murals. Arranged alphabetically by file title.

Subseries 1.4--Downtown Group, 2004-2007 [8 Files]: Documents the activities of the original parent organization of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains certificates; correspondence; information on special events; newsletters; budgets and membership lists. Arranged alphabetically by file title.

Subseries 1.5--General Files, 2005-2010 [22 Files]: Documents the history of Dothan area, the history of the Mural Project and the various promotional celebrations. Contains facts about Dothan and the Downtown District; publications about the Mural Project, information on other mural cities, such as Chemainus, B. C. and Stubenville, OH; reference material for murals; publications; memos; and miscellaneous photos. Arranged alphabetically by file title.

Subseries 1.6--Awards, 2009 [1 Plaque]: Documents achievements of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains awards presented to the Wiregrass Festival of Murals.

Series 2—Mural Creation, 2002-2007 [54 Total Files & 8 Oversized items]: Documents the individual murals of the Wiregrass Festival of Murals and the steps needed to create each one. Organized into 2 Series.

Subseries 2.1--Murals, 2002-2007 [30 Files]: Documents the creation of the individual murals in the Wiregrass Festival of Murals. Contains information on the murals provided by the Festival of Arts events; copyrights; award letters; contracts; mural renderings; research materials providing background for specific murals; narratives; grant information; the transparencies used for the mural wall projections; mural prints and event posters. Arranged by mural in the order of their creation.

Subseries 2.2--Reference Materials, 2002-2007 [24 Files]: Documents information used to create the murals that was not directly connected to a specific mural. Contains artist resumes; correspondence; contracts; mural locations; postcards with mural images; information on potential murals; and reference materials offering background information on the mural subjects. Arranged alphabetically by file title.