As thousands of visitors enter the grandstand at the 144th Whiteside County Fair, Tuesday, August 12, through Saturday, August 16, 2014, they will be greeted by a powerful image of harness racing. The project took about a month and a half, but it was completed early in August–just in time for the fair viewing.
The Fair Board requested a mural be painted on the concrete block, entrance wall. Member Mike Wiersema borrowed a 1970 calendar print from the Harness Racing office of member Dan Heusinkveld as the subject matter. Four young women, recent Morrison High School graduates, volunteered to transform the sepia-toned print into the richly colored action scene above.
They are Londa Gibbs, Joanna Klein, Sadie Onken, and Hannah Rillie.
First the wall was primed with cement paint. Durable outdoor paint was used for the dynamic design, stated Klein.
The girls’ artistry will come to life at the harness races Friday, August 15, at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 16, at 1:00.