The final result of Marissa Fuscher's mural painted on a wall outside of the Dwight American Legion building.
Marissa Fuchser felt intimidated staring at the blank wall at the Dwight American Legion building before it became her canvas. The bricks were menacing. She studied their small curvatures and imperfections before making her outline.
This wasn't her idea but she cherished the excitement of such a large space.
She flicked her wrist and the first measured stroke of paint met the wall. The rest followed.
Fuchser completed the mural, a replica of the photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, in less than three weeks during May. The process was delayed because of rainy days but that's something she had to work with, she said.
“It was a good opportunity to work on the mural and a good start,” she said.
Art has almost always been her expression. She started drawing as a kid growing up in Malcolm, and it was fun for her. She kept drawing throughout adolescence and embraced painting in high school. That's when she was first approached about painting murals.
“I actually got permission from my parents to practice in the garage,” she said. “So I got a few jobs doing that.”
She practiced painting directly on the garage wall. Few people saw her work.
Fuchser said it was part of her growth as an artist. She gravitated towards larger spaces and enjoyed the excitement of the unfamiliar.
“It's just refreshing to kind of step outside my comfort zone,” she said. “And you can always paint over it.
“There wasn't too much pressure, but it was nice to have a big canvas. It's harder to work on a smaller surface. It's easier for me to work with bigger space.”
She was studying for her bachelor of science and arts degree in studio art at Concordia when the American Legion in Dwight contacted the school about a possible mural. Those at the American Legion talked about a mural for 2 years before making headway with staff at Concordia. Professors floated the idea to Fuchser to see if she'd be interested. The mural had to be a color version of the photograph from the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Of course she was interested.
Then came the brief reproach of seeing the blank slate for the first time. It's big. A lot of space to cover. All she needed was to take the first step.
“When I finally got it going I was excited to get it going and done quickly,” she said. “It wasn't hard to want to be there and work on it. It was a little intimidating because it was my first outdoor mural and it was bigger than I was used to.
“Once it got going I was ready.”
The mural was completed in time for Memorial Day celebrations this year. She proudly stood next to her finished work for photos.
Fuchser said the project taught her art lessons she'd like to apply to previous works. She's started to work more with sculptures, something she didn't know she'd enjoy until she explored the medium in college.
“It's a whole different side of art,” she said. “Simultaneously, I was interested in painting. My senior show I combined painting and sculpture. That was an awesome thing I thought I'd get into.”
She's already been approached for future projects but she's enjoyed current free time to work on personal projects.
“I don't have an obligation to do it for people,” she said, “I can do my own thing, which is nice.”
