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Cliff Williams / The Herald Shepherd Grier, left, 13, listens to glass mosaic artist Linda Munoz to get glass cutting techniques. Munoz created the new mosaic on the steps near the Bibb Graves Bridge leading down to the riverwalk.
Cliff Williams / The Herald Shepherd Grier, left, 13, listens to glass mosaic artist Linda Munoz to get glass cutting techniques. Munoz created the new mosaic on the steps near the Bibb Graves Bridge leading down to the riverwalk.
If you don’t turn around, you might miss the newest art installation in Wetumpka.
A new mosaic created by Cuba, Alabama artist Linda Munoz can easily be missed even though it’s four feet wide and more than eight feet tall. It’s on the risers of the stairs from Main Street down to Coosa River near the Bibb Graves Bridge.
The idea started with Main Street Wetumpka executive director Haley Greene. She found Munoz through Marcia Webb, who knew of the artist’s work at Desoto Falls State Park.
“I did a workshop there with Brittany Hughes who is the naturalist there,” Munoz said. “We did a set of 43 stairs going down to Desoto Falls from the park area.”
The Desoto mosaic was done on site with the help of more than 1,000 people.
“The neat thing is if you are coming down the stairs, you do not see the risers,” Munoz said. “When you get to the bottom, if you don’t turn around, you miss them. Most people will hear about it.”
The process was a little different in Wetumpka. Munoz started creating the mosaic in panels at her west Alabama studio at her home built in 1850. Each panel was for a riser and transported to Wetumpka.
“This was done on a large table,” the artist said. “If I couldn’t sleep, I would go out and cut glass. When I got here, I had three stacks of mosaics on mesh.”
The design started with Munoz and Greene talking. First came the Coosa River. The city’s name had to be there too along with the Muskogee meaning — “Rumbling Waters.”
“You have all this other art around, I thought to finish it off with flowers,” Munoz said.
All the work was funded by a Clara Lull Robinson Beautification Grant through the Central Alabama Community Foundation.
Work started Monday morning installing the mesh panels and finally grout Tuesday afternoon.
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Wednesday morning Munoz said she thought it could take another day or two, but thanks to the help of volunteers, the project quickly came to life.
Shepherd Grier, 13, was one those volunteers at first searching for community service for Boy Scouts.
“I thought this would be some fun service hours,” Grier said. “I learned a little along the way.”
Munoz liked Grier’s attitude and work ethic. After work was completed Wednesday morning, she shared with Grier techniques for cutting glass for mosaics. Grier even went home with a glass cutter and glass — even some of the scrap from the Wetumpka mosaic.
Sharing with Grier was similar to how Munoz learned to work with glass.
She and her husband Chalire purchased their west Alabama home in 1980 and slowly renovated it over two decades before getting it on the National Historic Register. Munoz figured she would take a stain glass class in Nashville to help recreate the side lights for the main entrance to the home.
Munoz kept up the stain glass creation for a few years until children came along. All of her supplies including glass went into storage.
After the Munoz children were grown she pulled the glass out of storage.
“I thought about mosaics and I needed to explore that,” she said. “I am kind of self taught.”
The Southern self-taught glass mosaic artist now has an installation in Wetumpka who is marketing itself as the home to Southern self-taught artists. The project also fits in with the goals of Main Street Wetumpka.
“Our mission is to make downtown the heart of the community and help with economic development,” Greene said. “This is a beautification to help make Wetumpka the best it can be.”
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Areas of patchy fog early. Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 79F. Winds light and variable.
Cloudy. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.
Showers early becoming a steady light rain later in the day. High 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
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