Recorder Staff
MILLERS FALLS — This summer, a bridge in Montague will be getting some new art with a historical emphasis.
The Millers Falls Art Bridge, an organization that connects local artists and community, has planned the mural which will be on the footing of the Central Railroad bridge. The footing was sanded and primed in summer of 2016 and the project will be completed this summer, once the Arts Bridge contacts an artist for the work.
Richard Widmer, the director of the Arts Bridge and the force behind the project, said the project will be completed by a professional artist who will work with local teens and kids.
The mural will be of Douglass Smith, a Boston Red Sox pitcher from 1912 who was originally from Millers Falls.
“He’s this awesome son of Millers,” Widmer said.
Widmer said Smith pitched in one game for the Sox but was then dismissed because it was reported he was biracial, something that was taboo at the time.
Widmer said the mural serves as both a way to revitalize the village through art while also making a statement about racial issues.
“It’s a story about a local hero, but it’s also a story about the racial divide in this country,” He said. “Something I think it just as relevant today.”
Widmer said he is holding community meetings to gather more input on future projects in Millers Falls. He said there’s a good energy in the community right now, with a lot of redevelopment and community members interested in change and growth.
He said that Millers Falls has a combination of history and natural beauty and that he sees the area as a blank canvas right now.
The Arts Bridge was started two years ago as a way to connect Millers Falls to an international art community.
The mural cost $1,500 and is financed by the Montague Public Works Department.
Reach Miranda Davis at 413-772-0261 ext. 280 or mdavis@recorder.com.