On September 15, 2021

New mural downtown urges viewers to “open your heart”

RUTLAND — The newest mural to grace downtown Rutland will soon urge all who see it to “Open your heart.”

By Steve Costello
This mural will join two others in Center Street Marketplace.

A 28 foot by 22 foot photographic mural will soon grace the south wall of the former Strand Theater, which now houses Roots – The Restaurant, and faces Washington Street and Rutland City Hall, joining three sculptures on the Rutland Sculpture Trail and two other murals in the Center Street Marketplace in downtown Rutland.

Featuring a heart image carved in sandstone by wind and water, as photographed by longtime Rutland Town resident and Green Mountain Power Vice President Steve Costello, the mural is intended to offer beauty and inspiration for kindness and caring for one another and the community.

“I shot the image in Antelope Canyon, Arizona, during a solo hiking trip several years ago,” said Costello, an avid hiker and wildlife photographer.  “Printed on canvas, it’s been a favorite wedding gift for family and friends, and I’m excited to share it with the community.”

Working on the Rutland Sculpture Trail, on concepts for murals in downtown Rutland, and community development more broadly, Costello said the photo began to take on more meaning for him.  Paramount Theatre Executive Director Eric Mallette, who is also involved in the ongoing efforts to use arts and culture to support a vibrant downtown, first suggested the image be made into a mural, and helped raise funds to cover the cost of the installation.

“The image really spoke to me the first time I saw it,” Mallette said.  “It’s warm and beautiful, but it also makes you think about what’s important in life.”

Costello said the image will likely mean different things to different people.  “For me it started as a simple message of love for family and friends,” he said.  “I hope it prompts people to think a little about love for those close to them, and about the concept of loving your neighbor.  It seems like we can all use more love in our lives and communities right now.”

The location for the mural has special meaning for Costello, too: His father went to work as a ticket-taker at the Strand at age 5, after Costello’s grandfather died suddenly in 1928.

The mural installation will be completed by Awesome Graphics this fall, with support and funding from many community organizations and individuals.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Killington receives positive snow control for Audi FIS Ski World Cup race Nov. 30-Dec. 1

November 21, 2024
KILLINGTON—Killington Resort received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation), the governing body of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. With this announcement, Killington Resort can assure international race teams and ski racing fans traveling to central Vermont for Thanksgiving weekend that both the giant slalom and slalom races will…

One dead, two arrested in Rutland shooting

November 20, 2024
By Alan J. Keays / VTDigger Two Massachusetts men pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon, Nov. 18, to charges in the killing of a Rutland man. The prosecutor said the Friday night shooting was drug-related, and the two suspects may have been targeting someone else. Dylin Wainscott, 28, of Westfield, Massachusetts, faces charges of first-degree murder,…

Mountain Top Resort’s cross-country ski routes caught up in legal dispute

November 20, 2024
By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger Generations of cross-country skiers have flocked to Chittenden’s Mountain Top Resort to spend wintry days gliding along bucolic, snow-capped paths nestled in the shadow of Killington. As the popular cross-country skiing destination celebrates its 60th year in business, Mountain Top finds itself locked in a legal battle with its neighbors, John and…

Rutland weighs changes to its water filtration system 

November 20, 2024
By Adam Davis An event at the Rutland Recreation Community Center held last week by local and state officials and sparsely attended by the public outlined potential solutions to the rising levels of haloacetic acids in the city’s water supply.  The city is now looking to change how it will decontaminate its tap water as…