Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for the Winooski News
Snow drapes the rooftops of century-old brick buildings as the scent of coffee drifts over from a nearby cafe. The screech of tires and the scrape of a snowplow echo around Rotary Park. Amid the hum of traffic, the Winooski Mosaic adds a sense of warmth and a burst of color to the cold afternoon.
Installed at the heart of the city’s busy rotary, the shimmering, large-scale mural is more than just a striking piece of public art. It’s a testament to the power of collaborative creativity and the importance of amplifying diverse voices.
The project was led by Winooski artist Terry Zigmund, who has been making art with stained glass for a living for the past 20 years. Zigmund, who describes herself as the “artist facilitator” of the project, saw the mosaic as an opportunity to bring Winooski residents together. She wanted the mural to reflect the rich, individual experiences of residents all leading to the same community.
This mural isn’t just any piece of public art. More than 300 people contributed to it.
“Winooski is really vibrant, and there are a lot of different people from different places that live there that have moved there from all over the world. And so I thought, why don’t we make the prompt about where you’re from?” Zigmund said.
Each square tells a unique story, conveying the diversity of Winooski residents.
Mural participants were guided by six, color-coded prompts. Red was for people who have lived in Winooski their entire lives. Orange, for those with deep roots in Winooski who live elsewhere now. Yellow was for residents who moved to the city from another country. Green, for people who moved to Winooski from another state. Blue was for Winooski residents who moved from somewhere else in Vermont. Lastly, violet was for people visiting Winooski.
Zigmund reached out to people through events at the farmers market, the senior center, a popup art session at her house, and Winooski High School.
Zigmund wanted to make sure she reached immigrants and refugees and saw Winooski High School’s after-school clubs as an entry point to do this.
A friend of hers connected Zigmund to the high school’s Anti-Racism Steering Committee. She attended a meeting and talked with students and parents, inviting them to make a square in the mosaic. The responses at these community engagement events were enthusiastic.
“Every time I did this I ran out of materials. So many people. It was crazy. It was really cool,” Zigmund said.
The project’s early stages began last spring. Downtown Winooski, a nonprofit city revitalization organization, contracted Zigmund to create the mural. Funding came from multiple sources, including Vermont’s Better Places Program, which included crowd-sourced donations. The mosaic cost a total of $6,000.
The mural was completed in October 2024. Positioned in a staircase within Rotary Park, it remains hidden until viewers get close.
“There’s definitely an element of surprise with it,” Zigmund said.
So far, the feedback has been good, she added. “A lot of people have come up to me and said, ‘Hey, I saw it—it’s amazing! I found my piece!’”
Greg Davis, owner of Autumn Records on East Allen Street, appreciates the mural’s impact. “It’s a nice representation of the city,” he said. “It’s always nice to have community art projects to help beautify the city, so I’m all for it.”
Hailey Flynn, a server at Our House Bistro on Main Street, noted that while she isn’t particularly into art, “it’s pretty and it adds to the park. It also probably helps add to the events they have there which is great for business.”
Reflecting on the project, Zigmund hopes the mosaic lives up to its name.
“I hope that it brings the community together,” she said. “That was really the intent of it. Every piece is different. Everybody that made a piece is different. We’re all different and yet we are all a part of this bigger thing.”