"Camp Verde Grows" - Camp Verde AZ
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Where's George
N 34° 33.898 W 111° 51.346
12S E 421497 N 3825134
Locared on the north wall of Thanks A Latte, this incredibly bright and colorful mural graces the main intersection as you drive into the downtown Camp Verde area.
Waymark Code: WM10N7D
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 05/31/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 2

"In November, the Town of Camp Verde embarked on an ambitious project. Over the course of a month, the brick wall on the side of Thanks A Latte was transformed into a bountiful flash of light and color, as local artists and residents painted a mural on the side of the coffee shop on Main Street.

A month later, the art project is finished, and it stands proudly before drivers passing through town, showing off Camp Verde’s most recognizable features — Montezuma Castle National Monument, cottonwood trees, the Verde River, Camp Verde’s agricultural lifestyle and the San Francisco Peaks off in the far distance.

The design comes from Joan Bourque, an artist living in Cornville who has created murals in Cottonwood, as well as in numerous locations throughout the state. Through her art project, “It Takes A Village to Raise a Mural,” Bourque aims to help towns create community art by making designs and giving guidance, which local participants and volunteers are then able to turn into reality.

“I think it helps tighten the collaboration within a community,” Bourque said of murals like the one on the side of Thanks A Latte. “Especially with the students, and the people who work on it. They have a part. They can go back to the wall and say, ‘I did this.’ It’s a good feeling.”

Eighteen painters from around the Verde Valley joined in the project, including students from the local high school. According to Sebra Choe, project manager for economic development in Camp Verde, over 200 local residents stopped by the project over the past month to look at the progress. The community also raised over $3,000 to help pay for the project, with organizations like the Camp Verde Business Alliance and the Kiwanis Club of Camp Verde joining with local businesses and Arizona Public Service donating as well.

“The mural represents our collective effort to keep Camp Verde a special place,” Choe wrote in an email. “The Native American basket of Camp Verde produce, presented by an array of different hands, symbolizes a bounty — vibrant, healthy community made possible by the people of our past, present and future. That is why the mural title has a dual meaning, ‘Camp Verde Grows.’”

The final mural differs from Bourque’s original design in its addition of input from the Yavapai-Apache Cultural Resource Center, which suggested inclusion of petroglyphs, a tribal family scene and ladders on Montezuma Castle that add the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s history to its integral place in the culture of Camp Verde. The town will be holding a Meet the Muralists party celebrating the completion of the mural on Friday, Jan. 18, at 5 p.m. at Thanks A Latte. The town intends to follow it up with a similar project updating and refurbishing Hallet Plaza close by on Main Street with a new landscape design, upgraded benches and additional color, hopefully with the help of relatives of Margaret Wingfield Hallet." Above text from (visit link)

Other news articles about this amazing mural can be found at (visit link) and (visit link) as well as (visit link)
City: Camp Verde, AZ

Location Name: Thanks A Latte Espresso Cafe

Artist: Joan Bourque, and numerous local residents

Date: January 19, 2019

Media: Paint on brick

Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and description of your visit. One original photo of the mural must also be submitted. GPSr photo NOT required.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Murals
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.