Date: Oct. 1, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cassie Ehrenberg, Iron Horse Arts District Project Manager, at (949) 295-7018, or info@ironhorsedistrict.org
Meet the Iron Horse Arts District Muralist
HOLDREGE – The community is invited to a special reception on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Glenwood Telephone (821 4 th Ave.) to meet the muralist who will paint a new mural in the Iron Horse Arts District.
Dan Toro of Wyoming will begin work on the mural in early October. It is expected to take three weeks for him to complete the mural, which will be painted on the east side of the Riteway Milk building at 815 4 th Ave., in downtown Holdrege.
Toro grew up in Wyoming and has enjoyed traveling the country to paint murals for the past nine years. In college, he studied art with an emphasis in oil painting and printmaking, both of which have helped him create large-scale murals.
“I love how much murals can change an area of town and bring joy to people,” Toro said. “My favorite is finding out how this type of art changes people’s commutes for just a moment so that they can enjoy art on their way to work.”
Toro was chosen from a field of more than 130 muralists who responded to a Call for Qualifications by the Iron Horse Art District. The list of muralists was narrowed to 25, and the public art committee selected their top three. The Iron Horse Arts District paid the top three muralists to create a specific mural design for Holdrege.
The public art committee unanimously chose Toro’s work because of his use of bold colors and attention to detail. The mural idea he presented for Holdrege is relatable and tells a story.
Viewers will be able to play an “eye spy” game with the mural to find features unique to Holdrege.
“I love to get into the details and strive to make things have a sense of rightness, where the images don’t feel like a flat image pasted to the wall, rather a sculpted image that stands out,” Toro said.
The Norm and Corliss Stewart family, who own and operate Riteway Milk, have been instrumental in helping this mural become a reality. Corliss, who graduated from Holdrege High School with the class of 1966, is an art enthusiast and was involved in the selection process for the mural design.
“We are honored to have been a part of promoting our community though the Iron Horse Arts District,” Corliss Stewart said.
The mural is funded by the Stewart family and a grant from the Phelps County Visitors Committee. AJ/Integrity Construction prepared the building’s exterior for the mural.
The public is invited to meet Dan Toro and the Stewart family and hear about the mural at the October 8 Meet the Muralist reception at Glenwood Telephone (next door to where the mural will be painted) from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
A camera will be installed on the Glenwood building to record a time-lapse video as the mural takes shape over the next several weeks. For more information about public murals in Holdrege or about the Iron Horse Arts District, visit www.ironhorseartsdistrict.org or email info@ironhorsedistrict.org.
