OWATONNA — Not so long ago, to “paint the town” was a euphemism used for having an enjoyable — oftentimes raucous — night out. For the Southern Minnesota Initiative Fund, it’s a program that allows small towns to highlight or celebrate what they have to offer and who they are.
And this year the maximum size of the town for the Paint the Town program has been lifted, so anyone within the SMIF 20-county service area can participate, said Sarah Scheffert, communications and community vitality specialist. In the past, the top population was 10,000 people.
If you’ve driven through Fairmont and seen the umbrellas and a cutout of Gene Kelly “Singin’ in the Rain” on a downtown building, you’ve seen a project that benefited from the program. The same for the mural of young people fishing affixed to the side of a building in Spring Valley.
The type of project is up to the applying town, with the application including an estimate of the amount of paint needed, a simple rendering of the planned project and an assurance that approvals have been granted by property owners, Scheffert said.
Deadline for applications is March 3, with awards announced April 15. She said recipients then have until October to complete the projects and submit photos.
Although there is no ceremony upon completion, the sense of pride for residents and insight to the community for visitors is reward itself.
Although murals or other vertical-painted projects are the norm, they are not the only ones that can be funded, Scheffert said. Brightly tinted pencils painted on the facing of steps, a game of hopscotch emblazoned on a playground surface, multi-colored concrete blocks on a community planter or game boards on a picnic table all have been past recipients.
Free paint and coating products are available for a community mural, community welcome sign, historic structure or public art/creative placemaking projects and to refresh public spaces in preparation for significant community milestone celebrations.
Paint is the only supply that is reimbursable through the grant. When the stipulated amount has been purchased, SMIF will reimburse the cost, Scheffert said. It can be purchased anywhere.
Through the years, about 110,000 gallons of paint have found their way into the hands of community-booster organizations. Amounts may vary from just a few gallons to the 100-gallon maximum.
The 2022 Spring Valley Creek Mural measures 8-by-16 feet and was designed by local artist Andrea Hindt and painted with the help of community volunteers. Tim Penny, then president of SMIF, said of the project: “The only thing we require for the free paint that we provide is that it has to be collaborative, with lots of community members involved, and you certainly have that.”
The program’s application and requirements can be found at smifoundation.org/grants/for-grant-seekers/. Questions can be directed to Scheffert at sarahs@smifoundation.org