Muralist hopes to add vibrancy to Watertown with work at WPBS

Aug. 1—WATERTOWN — Kelly Curry, a mural artist based in Alexandria Bay, is almost finished painting a vibrant, 83- by 16-foot design on the side of the WPBS-TV building on Arsenal Street, a project which has been nine months in the making.

Curry said that the most time-consuming aspect of the project was designing it, because the mural features several trademarked characters, like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Daniel Tiger and Xavier Riddle. She has had to work with the companies that own the rights to these characters, who are very particular about where Curry could place them in relation to other characters, and how she could present them.

Curry has an extensive mural painting resume, with much of her work focused on private commissions that give her lots of artistic freedom. In 2022, she painted a mural for a client in Alexandria Bay that was designed to be viewed inside their elevator — the painting moving past as it ascends or descends. At the bottom, one views an underwater landscape, and by the time they reach the top, they get a picturesque view from a dock.

The companies involved in her most recent work made for a different creative process than Curry is used to. For the background, she was given three choices, and she told them, "There's no way those will work for this mural."

She asked them if she could make a background by combining elements from all three choices, and they were willing to accept this compromise.

Finding the right paint for the job was another hang-up in the process. The colors for each element in the mural had to be an exact hue of Pantone paint, and after trying at several specialty paint stores to have them reproduced, none were able to do so. She ended up getting the paint from Home Depot, being that it was the only place that was able to make it.

Curry said that while it is not her usual spot to get paint, she is glad to be using it, because "it's really vibrant."

Curry believes that vibrant colors lead to a more vibrant city. The bright blue sky, cheerful green trees and Clifford's popping red fur, add life to a small part of Arsenal Street. She hopes the mural inspires more colorful artwork around the city, "even if it's not by me."

She believes it has the power to uplift the community.

"It lifts the spirits of the people. It becomes everybody's mural," she said. "Once you start to see colorful artwork popping up around a city, things begin to change."

Mark Prasuhn, president and general manager of WPBS, has similar beliefs about artwork. He said that it was the WPBS staff who prompted the commission, with the idea of "having a positive influence on the community."

Despite the long design phase, Curry is glad things went the way they did.

"I am thankful for it. It's a great learning experience for me," she said.