The Peru Gazette

Mel and Greg high up on the lift.

Peru, NY—At 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 28th, during the Peru Town Market, artist Greg Badger and town councilman Mel Irwin installed three paintings to complete the Visual Legacy Project at Heyworth Mason Park.

The collection of works titled “Windows to the Past” consists of thirty-two paintings on the windows and doors of the historic Mason Lumber Mill. Greg Badger based the paintings on pre-1950s photos, the oldest from the mid-1800s. They depict Peru places and buildings; most are no longer standing because of two major fires and the passage of time. 

The three-story stone Mason building presented some challenges when installing large paintings. Mel Irwin employed his farming ingenuity for the first and second floors, using only a ladder, pulleys, and a bracing system to guide the panels in place. Sunday, Irwin and Greg Badger used a lift to reach and install the paintings on the third floor. Badger commented, “It was a fun spectacle and appropriate for completing the project.”

Businesses, private individuals, and families sponsored all the paintings.

For more information and images, explore visuallegacyproject.com.

Photos by Eddie Webbinaro