North Carolina-based muralist Darion Fleming has arrived to Montague to begin working his creative magic on the 3,200-square-foot exterior wall of the Shea Theater Arts Center on Avenue A.

The mural’s final design and painting timeline were released on Wednesday. The selected design depicts two figures, pictured from behind, embracing one another. While the figure on the left shows human characteristics, the silhouette on the right depicts trees from the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area.

Montague Town Planner Maureen Pollock said the design was guided by input from community members that was received through a June public hearing and survey. An eight-person steering group — comprised of residents and representatives from the Shea Theater, RiverCulture, Planning Board and businesses — reviewed the input. From there, Fleming used the guiding ideas of Montague’s community connectivity and natural beauty to create the design.

Painting will continue through Sept. 15. Pollock said residents are encouraged to come visit the painting site to see how the mural is created.

“Darion is here in town and is starting work,” Pollock said. “We hope that this will attract residents and visitors to check it out while it’s being painted, and then once it’s completed as well. We hope everyone likes it and gets a chance to take a look.”

The Selectboard approved a $30,510 contract with Common Wealth Murals LLC, a Springfield-based nonprofit that is tasked with managing the project, in January, following a previous vote to allocate $25,000 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funding toward the project. Of the $30,510, Fleming will be paid $15,000 for the mural, with the rest of the funds covering supplies, travel and lodging expenses.

Director of Common Wealth Murals Britt Ruhe said the steering committee unanimously agreed to partner with Fleming — after reviewing submissions from 354 applicants — due to his expertise and “iconic style” of mural creation that uses layered, conceptual styles to express the meaning of the artwork.

“He’s able to take a concept or an idea and turn it into a really compelling visual in a way that is subtlety layered so that over time, you’re seeing more in it and experiencing it in different ways,” Ruhe said. “That was really appealing to the committee.”

Ruhe noted that Fleming has only been painting murals for a few years, and the opportunity to have artwork from someone she feels will have a long career in mural creation is a unique opportunity for Turners Falls.

As of Thursday afternoon, Fleming had completed the outline of the mural where the two figures stand, and the outlines for the trees within the silhouette to the right. He explained his process involves relying on the digital design that allows for mapping and proportions to be accurate. When asked about similar large-scale murals, Fleming said he’s worked on murals that have taken him between two months and six months to complete that span twice the square footage of the Shea Theater’s mural.

“Really the hardest part is just getting the sketch on the wall because if you don’t have the proportions correct, it’s going to look weird and wonky,” Fleming said.

Now that the sketch is complete, Fleming looks forward to filling in the rest of the painting through a process of checking the digital design and “printing” it onto the wall.

According to his website, Fleming, whose work is signed as DaFlemingo, began painting murals in 2018 when he was commissioned for the first time in North Carolina by a brewery. Since then, he’s created large-scale murals, with a 2020 mural being featured in the New York Times.

Although Shea Theater board of directors President Monte Belmonte was not directly involved in the mural project, he said he’s a “huge fan” of the design. He said he has seen the work overseen by Common Wealth Murals and he is excited to have artwork supported by the nonprofit being installed in Turners Falls where he lives.

“I’m delighted that when I come into my town, I’ll see a mural by something I really care about,” Belmonte said, referencing the theater.

An announcement of a date and time for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the mural’s completion will be announced on the town website.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.