Celebrating Joel Jonientz’s Mural

This weekend the city of Grand Forks will hang a mural painted by Joel Jonientz and residents of the Near Southside Neighborhood and some of Joel’s colleagues in the department of Art and Design.

You can check out Joel’s progress on the mural here.

I was involved in putting Joel in contact with my buddy Bret Weber who is on city council. I feel pretty confident in saying that the project was a pain in the ass for both Joel and Bret, but it will be nice to have the mural hung to commemorate Joel’s time as part of our community.

The event starts at 11:30 and is at the corner of Walnut and South 5th St.

Here’s the official press release.

The City of Grand Forks, along with the Near Southside Neighborhood, will commemorate the 125th anniversary of North Dakota statehood with the unveiling of a mural.  A celebration will start at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 11, at Centennial Park in downtown Grand Forks.  Located at the intersection of South 5th Street, Walnut Street, and Kittson Avenue, Centennial Park – anchored by a clock tower — was developed 25 years ago to mark the State centennial.   The event will then move across 5th Street to unveil a mural sponsored by the Near Southside Neighborhood.  Part of the Mayor’s Urban Neighborhood Initiative (MUNI), the mural project was a multi-year neighborhood effort involving brainstorming, fundraising, and hands-on community participation.  This event will also celebrate the life of local artist Joel Jonientz, creator of the mural, who passed away unexpectedly last year.   Jonientz was an art professor at UND, and his UND colleagues  helped complete the mural in his honor.   The event will wrap up at the 2nd floor of Rhombus Guys.  All are invited to attend this community event