2021 was Sparta’s 175th anniversary, so the Sparta Township wanted to create something special to commemorate it! After much deliberation, it was decided that a mural would be installed on the East side of the Sparta Township building!
The process began by picking an artist to create the mural. Sotir Davidhi, Mural by Design, LLC, was the chosen candidate! He has created many beautiful murals throughout Kent City and other surrounding areas and was perfect for the job.
Designing the mural wasn’t easy. Many ideas and historical pictures were shared with Davidhi. There were several consultations after which he was ready to present his concepts. The final approved design was one that shows apple trees throughout the seasons as well as using historical pictures from Sparta. It was decided that the mural would be split into three rectangle-shaped parts. One for spring, summer, and fall, with the gray wall that they were mounted on representing winter. The section that represents summer also represents the past and was created using pictures from Sparta’s history. Davidhi was intentional about the way he painted the mural. The township provided him with many historical images of Sparta, so a big challenge for him was to make sure that the painting “did not feel like a collage, but felt natural and had a similar flow to the other sections.” To help all of the paintings connect, he painted them similarly, using the same sunlight and time of day in each composition. The result is three beautiful paintings that represent Sparta as it was in the past as well as how it is today.
Sparta Township is so excited to have these paintings installed for all of Sparta to enjoy. If you haven’t had the chance to see the mural yet, make sure to stop by the Sparta Township building and check out Sparta’s newest addition!