MONTAGUE — Artists from Amherst, Cambridge and Great Barrington have been selected to design a total of six wheatpaste murals that will be installed in May.

Amherst artist Sophie Foulkes, Cambridge artist Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Great Barrington artist Aaron Meshon were chosen by three steering groups, which sifted through materials from 37 applicants. Through a $15,000 grant, each artist will get $4,000 for their designs, with the remaining money being put toward installation and printing costs.

In Turners Falls, Meshon will design two murals for the St. Kazimierz Society and the Colle Opera House, and Foulkes will take on two murals for either side of the bike path near Montague Town Hall and at the old Masonic Lodge, now Catherine Grace Studios, in Montague City. The final pair of murals, by Prakkamakul, will be on the building at the corner of East Main Street and Franklin Street, and the Powers Block building, both in Millers Falls.

Suzanne LoManto, director of RiverCulture, a municipal program seeking to foster Montague’s creative economy, said the three steering groups, made up of residents from Turners Falls and Millers Falls, decided on the artists, who have shown an interest in the community through their draft designs. The chosen artists also have unique art styles and express an eagerness to work with the public to garner feedback before the designs are finalized.

“It came down to how the artist looked at community input,” LoManto said. “How they interpreted that was key to winning.”

Wheatpaste is used to create temporary murals by pasting printed paper to surfaces like buildings. Designs can be created digitally and printed onto the paper. Once they are installed in May, the murals will be on display through September.

Meshon, who has been an artist for 30 years, said he’s excited to have been selected for the mural project. He has grown familiar with Turners Falls by visiting the village to see friends since he moved to Massachusetts from New York City. He enjoys the former mill town’s history and the layout of the downtown.

“I love being a part of the community,” he said. “I’m honored that I was chosen.”

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Meshon said he’s done large-scale murals before in New York City that are more permanent, and he is excited to try this new medium.

In his application, Meshon submitted two designs: an illustration of the Turners Falls fish ladder for the Colle Opera House, and a mural depicting the history of Turners Falls from pre-colonial times to present day for the St. Kazimierz Society. Meshon said the idea for St. Kazimierz, featuring a diverse array of people and cultures, took him 30 hours to research and design.

The installation of temporary wheatpaste murals comes after LoManto worked with Montague Public Libraries Director Caitlin Kelley and Parks & Recreation Director Jon Dobosz to attend a virtual public art training called “Making It Public” in 2024, which offered the three training on best practices for public art. The training was offered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Arts & Culture Department.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.