Blooming with Beauty – Welcome Center Mural

The Wellen Park Welcome Center is our home base, the epicenter of our community. So when local artist Laura Pommier first began creating a mural for the side of the building, she wanted to make sure the imagery reflected the vibrancy of the community.

The Artist’s Background

From the time Laura was just four years old, she knew she had a love and talent for drawing. She began college art courses at the age of 16 and continued on to graduate from Murray State. Through her college years, she did what she could to pursue her dream. She entered juried shows, worked on personal commissions and even taught classes.

In 2012, Laura returned to academics and pursued an MA in studio art. In addition to exhibiting in numerous group and solo exhibitions, she worked on several unique projects including painting a restored carousel, illustrating several books, and leading community art pieces.

Designing the Welcome Center Mural

Her inspiration for this mural was of course, Wellen Park! After viewing the future plans for the community, she wanted to create a piece that reflected the same excitement as our community.

She envisioned the side of the building as a blank canvas. While landscaping provided earthy tones with greens and blues to the front and back spaces, her objective was to wrap those tones around to the side along with a dramatic pop of color.

Since the mural is one of the first things visitors see when arriving at the welcome center, the imagery is meant to invite, intrigue, and fascinate. 

For Laura, these big, beautiful blooms speak of life, joy, and possibilities, which is what she feels people are seeking if they choose to live in Wellen Park.

A Message to Aspiring Artists

“Art is not only about accuracy and skill. It’s also about emotion, energy and narrative. Everyone who wants to make art has a unique personal language waiting to be discovered and practiced.”

Beginner artists, of any age, should be open minded, appreciate the journey as much as the outcome, and learn from one experience to the next. “Beginning each piece is like opening a gift!”

Next time you’re at the Welcome Center, be sure to take a moment to admire Laura’s beautiful work!

If you’re interested in taking lessons, you’re in luck! Laura is an instructor at the North Port Art Center (NPAC) and is part of Wellen Park’s Artist In Residence program, which features new artists every quarter. You can view and purchase their work in the Welcome Center.

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Header photo courtesy of Laura Pommier