Christiansen Paints Tribute to Madison
You’re probably familiar with her, even if you don’t know her.
For almost 20 years, Madison artist Angie Christiansen has painted windows and murals for area businesses and residents. Her work can be seen at places like Skippers, The Movie Guy, Dairy Queen and Prostrollo All-American Auto Mall.
One of Christiansen’s most recent projects is a tribute to Madison. Pro Cellular manager Kelli Brown wanted to get people talking, Christiansen said, and asked her to do a window painting on the vacant store to the north of Pro Cellular on Egan Avenue. Brown, a Chamber of Commerce member, wanted a mural featuring Madison landmarks that come to mind when one thinks of the town, Christiansen said.
“We wanted to do something we could leave up all year round until the building gets rented out,” Christiansen said.
The window painting looks like a map and highlights landmarks that correlate with each area of Madison. Some of the mural’s landmarks include Baughman Park, the 4-H grounds, Madison Public Library, Prairie Village, Farmer’s Elevator, the Outdoor Aquatic Center, the public schools and the new “Madison” sign on the southeast edge of town. The Dakota State University logo, the State of South Dakota Great Seal, the Pledge of Allegiance and a list of 2009 Chamber of Commerce members are also part of the window painting.
“Throughout the whole time I was there (painting the mural), people were constantly stopping and looking at it and saying what a good thing it is for Madison,” Christiansen said. “There were quite a few out-of-town people visiting who thought it was a really neat project.”
She said young people took pictures of her work and pointed to places they knew, and “old-timers” told stories about the locations. Christiansen said that she learned, according to one of those stories, that the Prostrollo buffalo is named Chief.
She spent about two weeks in May painting the mural, she said, along with help from Brown and Stephanie Miller.
Christiansen got her start in window painting while working at Hardee’s in high school. Her boss, Eileen Peters, asked her to paint Christmas scenes on the store’s windows, and after that customers began requesting her services.
Christiansen attended DSU and, with the encouragement of art instructor Allan Fisher, majored in art.
Most of her projects are in kids’ rooms and during Christmas time, she said.
“My favorite is doing kids’ rooms because they usually have themes” and are fun and colorful, Christiansen said. She’s also painted murals in living rooms and on ceilings.
“I can just about do anything as long as I have a picture of what they want,” Christiansen said. She can paint on just about anything too, like wood ironing boards and saw blades. Christiansen does family portraits as well.
She finds a challenge when it comes time to start painting Christmas scenes.
“It gets harder every year because I’m trying to think of something bigger and better and I’m trying to improve my skills and make it better than last year,” she said.
She went to a much bigger scale in 2008 when a gentleman asked her to paint a wilderness scene of pheasants and geese on the side of a metal grain bin. The grain bin mural is found west of Howard on Highway 34.
Christiansen can be contacted for commission work at her home phone number.
Christiansen will do a demonstration workshop of her artwork at the Madison Public Library July 14 at 7 p.m. as part of the Madison Area Arts Council Chautauqua Series. She is the first artist to be featured in the new MAAC Chautauqua Series.
MAAC meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Madison Public Library. The public is invited to attend. Visit the MAAC Web site at www.madisonareaartscouncil.wordpress.com for more community art news and events.
