New downtown mural dedicated to courage

‘Sisu’ is final piece in A World of Hearts mural series

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BROOKINGS – A new mural, “Sisu,” has been installed on the alley wall of The Brookings Register building on Fifth Street in downtown Brookings. The piece features a heart with paint splatter bursts utilizing Brookings branding colors of various tints and shades – red, pink, orange, yellow, green and blue. 

Ashley Biggar, artist and owner of Creative Impressions as well as director of Downtown Brookings with the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, designed and painted the mural. The mural is a final piece to commemorate Biggar’s 15 “A World of Hearts” inspired donated temporary window murals she has created since March. She donated 180 hours toward that positivity initiative and an additional 36 hours to paint Sisu. 

“I was excited for another opportunity to give back and create a piece to serve as a more permanent grand finale of my temporary ‘A World of Hearts’ inspired murals. It’s been amazing to see the outpour of support from the Brookings Arts Council, The Brookings Register, as well as other downtown businesses and residences,” Biggar said. The Brookings Arts Council donated the paint.

When asked about the meaning behind the mural, Biggar said, “Sisu is a Finnish word that has no exact English translation. It is a combination of grit, extraordinary determination, courage and resoluteness in the face of extreme adversity. It is seen as an action mindset which enables individuals to reach beyond their present limitations, take action against all odds and transform barriers into frontiers. I’ve meditated on this concept as I’ve painted the other murals and wanted this piece to serve as a calling to dig deep, not give up, and keep moving forward together.” 

The public is invited to come see the mural and share their photos with #dtbtown and #Sisu. For more information, contact Biggar at 605create@gmail.com.