Polo’s downtown park to get wall mural this spring

POLO — A mural soon will be added to Louise A. Quick Park.

On March 18, Polo City Council members voted unanimously to hire Nick Gjonola, of Midwest Murals, for just under $15,000 to paint an about 1,200-square-foot mural on the brick wall at Louise A. Quick Park.

“It’s in trend to do murals on the sides of buildings, and this seemed the perfect place to put one,” Mayor Doug Knapp said. “More than anything, it’ll be historical.”

Louise A. Quick Park is located at 102 W. Mason St., in downtown Polo. It is the location of some of the Movies in the Park and Polo Area Community Theatre events.

“It’ll beautify Louise Quick Park, and it’s right downtown where everybody sees it,” Knapp said.

The $15,000 for the mural was donated by the William and Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation, he said.

“They’ve done lots of stuff for the city,” Knapp said. “They’re really generous with their donations. We really appreciate them.”

Work is expected to start April 15 and be completed by May 15, weather permitting, according to the contract with Gjonola.

The mural’s design contains historic images, including portraits of President Abraham Lincoln and Zenas Aplington, the founder of Polo, on a background of a map of Buffalo Township; a steam locomotive and train station; and pine trees with the words “Gateway to the Pines.”