Over two weeks in August, a group of 20 high school students are painting hands in a rainbow of colors on a wall outside of Spats Food and Spirits. Some of the hands are shades of brown, others blue and purple, still others orange and yellow.
All of these hands in their many colors, said 17-year-old Angy Oliveo, show that “everyone is welcome here, and that there’s a place here for you.”
The nearly 3,000-square foot mural is the fifth iteration of a program called Paint the City. Each summer since 2022, artist Neo Medina has worked with a group of students to paint murals around Appleton. These students are chosen from a pool of applicants every year and receive a small stipend and half a credit for their work. While the students are working, the community can stop by, ask questions and pick up a paintbrush themselves…