New Pabst Mine mural to be featured in Ironwood

IRONWOOD - Based the success of the first miners mural in Ironwood, the Gogebic Range Murals and Attractions Committee is in the process of establishing a new mural that will feature the Pabst Mine.

"We have history, and history is our future," committee member Sandy Sharp said Friday. She said the first Ironwood miners mural on McLeod Avenue has been well received, but "it's time for another mural."

With that, Sharp and fellow committee member Peter Sturgul said the group is committed to coordinating the installation and fundraising for the new mural to be located on the east side wall of the Lahti building.

"This is really a prime location in downtown Ironwood," Sturgul said.

It will feature the Pabst Mine head-frame, "plenty" of iron ore miners, railroad ore cars and historic landscapes depicting the early Ironwood mining days.

Local mural artist Dan Perotti will paint it. Sharp said Perotti has painted many murals across the world.

Along the bottom of the mural, there will be painted bricks that can be personalized with the donors' names. There will be three brick sizes available for purchase: 9 by 12 inches, 18-by-24 and 24-by-48. The larger bricks will display the name at a larger size.

Bricks will be sold on a first come, first served basis and will painted in the order the purchase forms are received.

In addition, the miners' body images on the mural are available for purchase.

The committee's goal is to promote, assist and fund murals and promote roadside attractions on the Gogebic-Penokee Iron Range.

"There's a lot of history here (in Ironwood)," Sturgul said. "This is a nice way to honor the memory of the iron ore miners. It will bring a lot of people into town."