News Photo by Diane Speer Ted Fines, right, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan, congratulates artist Chad J. Szatkowski on the completion of his mural now hanging on Habitat’s ReStore. The mural was dedicated Monday.

News Photo by Diane Speer
Ted Fines, right, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan, congratulates artist Chad J. Szatkowski on the completion of his mural now hanging on Habitat’s ReStore. The mural was dedicated Monday.

That visual summation was exactly what Executive Director Ted Fines was looking for when in March he announced a contest for artists to create a mural that would reflect Habitat’s purpose in the region. At the conclusion of the contest, artist Chad J. Szatkowski of Alpena rose to the top as the one to get it done.

“I am very happy with how Chad’s mural turned out,” Fines said.

Szatkowski recently completed his detailed 12×12-foot work of art. It was placed on the ReStore’s exterior that fronts Chisholm Street and then dedicated on Monday just prior to today’s 4th of July parade. Several Habitat employees, Habitat board members and city officials, including Mayor Matt Waligora, attended the dedication ceremony.

“We wanted it done by the July 4th parade, and all our volunteers made it happen,” Fines said, adding that the mural contains all the elements that represent Habitat: the agency’s logo, the houses it builds for those in need, the ReStore truck that picks up donations all over the area, the inclusiveness of the program and its Christian foundation.

Fines was not the only one pleased by the outcome. As the artist, Szatkowski said he was very excited to have his work featured in a public space.

“I’m happy with how it turned out,” Szatkowski said. “It took seven days to paint.

Born deaf, art has always been his mainstay and his livelihood. When involved in a project, he is able to block out what’s going on around him and concentrate solely on the creative process.

For the Habitat mural, Szatkowski painted on separate panels that were then hung collectively as one piece. A drip proof frame now surrounds it, and Habitat plans to soon install two lighting fixtures above the mural to illuminate it at night. A plaque which identifies Szatkowski as the artist also hangs beside the new mural.

Szatkowski is a graduate of Alpena High School. He attended Alpena Community College and Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, where he earned a degree in visual communications.

Beginning in grade school, he frequently entered his artwork in the Chicago-based International Creative Arts Festival for the Deaf. Over many years, he won multiple awards, including first place, most unique and best of show.

The mural comes as part of a capital improvement project at Habitat’s Restore. The project includes a new main entrance with double doors at the front of the building.