Breaking the Surface: Paint CHQ's Dunkirk Mural Completed

A mural in downtown Dunkirk that's part of a countywide public art initiative has finally been completed after several months of delays. City and county representatives were on hand Thursday afternoon for a ribbon cutting and dedication of the mural at the Coburn Block on Central Avenue. The mural, entitled "Just Breaking the Surface," depicts a walleye erupting out of Lake Erie. Rebecca Wurster, Special Projects Coordinator with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development, read a statement by Connecticut-based artist Ryan Christenson, who created the mural...

Rebecca Wurster: what the mural represents

It's the first mural in the Great Lakes area created by Christenson, who is known professionally as "ARCY." He says it became apparent to him that Lake Erie is part of the community's identity, adding that the walleye, harbor and pier all tell a story about Dunkirk...

Ryan Christenson: hope it becomes part of Dunkirk years from now

The Dunkirk mural is part of the Paint CHQ project. It was originally scheduled to be completed last summer, but travel issues with a prior artist caused the local project to be delayed.

Photos by Greg Larson