Teen artist transforms wall into a Fox River spectacle

You don’t have to take a dip in the Fox River to catch a glimpse of underwater life.

The East Dundee Arts Council’s first commissioned mural is complete. It gives passersby a look at life along and in the Fox River.

Muralist Maddie Deiters, a 16-year-old from Marion, transformed a 57-by-16-foot brick wall at 7 N. Jackson St. into an underwater showcase of sorts, featuring fish, ducks, a Blanding’s turtle and other life native to the Fox River. The mural is in downtown East Dundee near the Fox River Trail.

“I’m super excited about how it turned out,” said Deiters, who used more than 20 colors to paint the mural. “I love the wildlife aspect of all of it to showcase the Fox River.”

The arts council sought proposals from artists at the start of the year. It asked the artists to focus on the history of the village, nature along the Fox River or a celebration of what makes East Dundee unique.

Deiters, who enjoys painting wildlife, said she is hopeful the mural will help draw people to the downtown.

She has completed more than a dozen large murals throughout southern Illinois and in North Carolina. Deiters said public art in her hometown has helped brighten the area.

Deiters, who will do another mural in her hometown this summer, plans to post a video of her East Dundee project in the coming weeks. To see more of her work, search for ThreeLine Art on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

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