Murals beginning to take shape around Detroit Lakes

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Along Front Street in Detroit Lakes, the Becker County Health and Human Services building started receiving splotches of much-needed color to its cream-colored exterior on Tuesday.

Thanks to the Detroit Lakes-based nonprofit, Project 412, and a grant from the Blandin Foundation, the nonprofit has commissioned a series of artists to create colorful murals at different locations around the city.

Deneena Hughes, a Minneapolis-based artist, said her mural titled, “Embracing Equinox,” will wrap the four seasons and day-night cycle around the long, skinnier exterior wall covering at the county health building.

Deneena Hughes, left, and her daughter, Sophia, tape the exterior wall at the Becker County Health and Human Services building in Detroit Lakes as they complete a mural on the side of the building on June 13, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM News)

“I was very intrigued by the challenges of such a long, skinny space rather than a big wall, like a big piece of paper,” said Hughes. “And I really like the linear challenge and I wanted to come up with something for that.”

Hughes is a working artist with works on display at two locations in the Twin Cities metro area and was completing a mural in Stillwater when a lakes area resident stopped and told her about the Detroit Lakes mural project.

Both Hughes and her husband first heard about Detroit Lakes because of their ice carving; something they’ve been doing together for more than 30 years. The Hughes’ have created ice sculptures for previous Polar Fests in Detroit Lakes, which included the most recent wolf sculpture next to the ice castle during Polar Fest in 2022.

She also said she loves to contribute her work to cities that seem to truly embrace art in all of its forms. She added the theme, “Embracing Equinox,” is perfect for Detroit Lakes because she noticed the lakes area residents enjoying life to its fullest, no matter the season or what the temperature is outside.

“And also, why we chose ‘Embracing Equinox’ as our theme is because of how this town does that,” she said. “It’s a lake town, but in the winter, everybody is out in full force having a great old time too, so it’s the culture of the area that they’re just like, ‘let’s get out there and embrace it.'”

Sharing the tape and painting duties with Deneena for the first week of the project is her daughter, 17-year-old Sophia Hughes.

Sophia is a student at Eden Prairie High School and said her artistic expression usually comes musically through her cello playing, so helping her mom with an art piece is a little different.

“I’ve never done anything like this, so I’m excited to see how it all unfolds,” said Sophia Hughes. “We’re kind of rolling with the punches. We have the design, but we’re changing some things along the way, so it’s fun and exciting.”

Deneena said she thinks it will take her at least a couple weeks to finish the mural, but believes the scenescape they are trying to create will be well worth the wait.

Nine more murals are planned for the project. For more information on the mural locations and other artistic endevors in the lakes area arts community, visit: www.project412mn.org.

Sophia Hughes, left, hands her mom, Deneena Hughes a bowl of paint as they paint a mural on the exterior wall at the Becker County Health and Human Services building in Detroit Lakes on June 13, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM News)