Downtown mural honors Albion’s French sister cities

When more than 100 people recently showed up for the dedication of Albion’s newest piece of public art, the paint was dry – just.

“There is a signpost on the wall that gives the mileage to Noisy-le-Roi and Bailly from Albion. I finished painting in that text on Friday morning,” said Michael Dixon, Albion College art professor and creator of the Sister City Mural celebrated during the annual Festival of the Forks. “When you have a project as big as this one, sometimes you have to work until the last minute.”

Over the past 25 years, the Albion/Noisy/Bailly sister city relationship has involved thousands of citizens and hundreds of visits (including well over 100 Albion College students). Dixon joined the exchange several years ago with an exhibition of paintings in Noisy and his appreciation has only grown with subsequent visits.

So, in 2024, when Albion’s Sister City Committee began thinking of a public display of their program, Dixon was the choice. 

“I am a big fan and big supporter of this fantastic program,” Dixon said. “I was definitely interested in doing this for the committee.”

Dixon’s design includes architectural features around Noisy and Bailly (including the gates of Versailles, just a few kilometers away), plus imagery reflecting the athletic, artistic, educational, and cultural exchanges that have taken place. The mural is located on the south exterior wall of Albion’s Secretary of State office, 308 South Superior.

Dixon often works on large canvases, but the mural–nearly 700 square feet in size– was a learning experience for the art professor. “You have the valleys of the mortar and the hills of the brick. Those were especially challenging with all of the straight lines in the design,” he recalled. “The wall was primed first, but every surface had to be painted two or three times. The paint soaked into the brick more than expected.”

The wall surface wasn’t Dixon’s only physical challenge. “Painting in the sun, heat, and humidity is definitely work,” he said. “This took up my summer into the fall semester.”

“We love it,” said Dianne Guenin-Lelle, Albion College emerita professor of French and co-chair of Albion’s Sister City Committee. Guenin-Lelle noted the mural’s primary underwriter (Albion Philanthropic Women) especially appreciated the involvement of Albion youth in designing and painting the mural. 

“This represents our exchange and the love that’s been developed by it,” Guenin-Lelle said. 

Matthieu Cortesse was a member of the Noisy/Bailly delegation attending the event. “It’s just wonderful to have such a good relationship when the distance is so big,” he said. “To see such a great accomplishment, it’s heartwarming.”

Dixon said he is proud of the mural, but also noted it’s far more than a successfully completed project. 

“I am honored to be a part of celebrating this program. I love the Sister City Committee, the people on the committee, and their mission,” he concluded. “It is a special program to have in a small community.”