WOONSOCKET, South Dakota — As Kenzie Schafer climbed the scaffolding to begin painting her mural, the sheer scale of the grain silo became clear. Painting the massive structure, 13 feet tall and 130 feet long, required her to navigate the heights with precision and focus. Each brushstroke she applied to this vast canvas brought her one step closer to capturing Lake Prior’s history.
Balancing carefully on scaffolding, Schafer expertly brought his vision to life.
Woonsocket is bathed in the glow of a new artistic wonder that reflects the community’s history and identity, thanks to Schafer, a local artist known for his striking murals around the area.
For Schafer, the mural on the long metal elevator building at the north end of Dumont Avenue in Woonsocket is his largest project to date.
“This is definitely the biggest project I’ve ever worked on. The size of the building was fun,” Schafer said. “It was difficult and challenging, but that’s what made it more fun.”
A native of Wessington Springs, Schafer has done a lot of work with environmental groups like Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. She has steadily built a reputation as a muralist throughout South Dakota, imbuing local buildings with artistic flair. Her previous work includes a mural celebrating agriculture at her alma mater, Wessington Springs High School, and a painting of a pheasant farm on a building on Main Street in Kimball.
Notably, Schafer was also the winner of the 2020 South Dakota State Legislative Art Competition, hosted by U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson. Her winning piece was an oil and acrylic painting titled “Pride,” which showcased her artistic talents as a high school senior.
For Woonsocket, the mural represents a vision that has been developing over the past decade. Gay Swenson, president of the Woonsocket Development Corporation, said discussions have been ongoing for about a decade to commission a mural, ideally near Prior Lake, at the suggestion of director Ray Alllodge.
“It was Ray’s idea to paint murals in the city and bring more people to see art. People would travel to see art,” Swenson says, “but it just took us 10 years to find someone to do it.”
The search for an artist ended when Swenson came across an article in a Wessington Springs newspaper featuring Schafer and a large truck she had painted.
“She created a patriotic scene with an eagle and an American flag and clearly demonstrated her talent,” Swenson said.
Dakota AGrow owner Tom Ogle donated the canvas for this artistic endeavor by granting the development corporation permission to use his grain silo, which is perfectly located so it can be seen from South Dakota Highway 34 and almost anywhere around the lake for maximum impact on residents and visitors alike.
The mural’s theme is deeply rooted in Prior Lake and Woonsocket’s history. Schafer’s artistic vision brings to life nostalgic elements such as the once-popular party boats and the now-defunct Shoot-the-Chute Slide. The mural also depicts the town’s famous buildings through the years and water festivals showcasing a variety of boating and fishing activities.
“They envisioned a historical representation of Woonsocket’s founding period, and the Development Corporation provided all the historical resources I needed to guide my artistic process,” Schafer said. “They requested landscaping that fit well with their concept, and I incorporated the historical elements they suggested into the landscape design.”
A mural that the Woonsocket Development Corporation has been fundraising for over the past year is nearing completion, and the mural’s theme centers around the history of Prior Lake.
Submitted Photos
Schafer worked with businesses and visited different locations around town to get input on what they wanted in a mural.
Shah also incorporated one of his own observations into the mural, subtly adding a bucket full of turtles near the depiction of boys fishing.
“When I was in town last year, I saw kids catching turtles, so I wanted to incorporate that fun part into the mural,” Schafer said.
For Swenson, it was a pleasant and surprising addition.
“Kids are always catching turtles around the lake,” Swenson said. “We also have turtle races at the water festival.”
The Woonsocket murals presented a special challenge to Schaefer, both in terms of scale and medium: the sheer size of the building demanded careful planning and execution, plus the metal surfaces necessitated the use of automotive paint, which had to be pre-mixed to achieve the desired colors, adding to the expense.
“Automotive paints are a little trickier to work with than oil-based or water-based paints,” Schaefer says. “They’re a little more difficult to work with.”
Schafer began the mural project late last summer but had to put it on hold in November due to cold weather. She plans to resume work this summer and, weather permitting, have it finished by the end of this week.
While Schafer’s previous high school murals were more abstract and different from her usual style, the Woonsocket landscape mural looks a lot like her typical work.
“I’ve done a lot of landscape painting,” Schafer said, “and while the photos they gave me of the work were in black and white, the mural has a lot of bright colors and dark blues.”
The mural project has been funded entirely through fundraisers and donations, and there is currently a shortfall of about $3,500.
“Our community is very supportive of just about everything we do,” Swenson said, “and the mural will be another way to appreciate the lake view and invite people from outside the community to come and see what we bring to our beautiful city.”
Jennifer Reiter joined The Mitchell Republic in April 2024. She grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and attended Lincoln High School. She continued her education at South Dakota State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in December 2000. During college, Reiter worked as a reporter for her campus newspaper, The Collegian, and also interned with Anderson Publications in Canistota, South Dakota in the summer of 2000. After graduation, Reiter continued to live in the Sioux Falls area and worked as a freelance writer for the Argus Leader for several years.
/Jennifer Reiter
