Divepoint Mural (Landerman)

To demonstrate the impact of public art as a vehicle to build community identity and a sense of place, the CREATE portage county initiative is announcing its first downtown mural, featuring local artist Alexander Landerman.  His mural will be painted on the west-facing wall of Divepoint Scuba.  

Contributions will help us to cover the cost of supplies and to provide a living wage for our muralist while he works on the project.  Should contributions exceed our goal, we will split additional funds evenly between our muralist and a fund to support future public art projects in Portage County.  

Artist Statement:

I have always considered myself lucky to be where I am from. I was born and raised in Central Wisconsin. I spent much of my life working in independently owned shops in downtown Stevens Point. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and was fortunate enough to teach in the local school system. I am a member of the Gallery Q Artist Cooperative and have shown in many of Central Wisconsin’s galleries. My connection to the Stevens Point Community has given me a strong personal investment in this project. 

The independent shop owner is a specialist in their field. They possess knowledge of their products and a love for the services they provide that surpasses that of a large chain store. This is reflected in the proverb “What the lion cannot manage, the fox can.” This mural will pay tribute to the local shop owners that make Stevens Point so uniquely special. It is my hope to create a piece of artwork that contributes to the beautification of our downtown and encourages future generations to pursue a career in art.  


We believe this piece and its focal German adage also captures both the nature of Portage County and the goals of the CREATE portage county initiative.  We are lucky to live in a collection of small-but-smart communities perfect for fostering artistic, economic, and civic innovations that impact the world at large.  The CREATE portage county initiative seeks to celebrate that identity while building infrastructure to and programming to grow that capacity.  For more information on this initiative or to become a supporting member, visit artsportagecounty.org.