SWAMPSCOTT – When community members travel down Paradise Road, one of the inevitable sights is the Department of Public Works (DPW) yard – and one resident, Sheila Billings, has taken it upon herself to create a mural of a big blue wave for passersby to enjoy.
Billings, who has set up shop for several days down at the DPW yard, is a member of the Senior Tax Work Off Program, where residents can work 133 hours to accrue up to $2,000 taken off their property tax bill.
“I signed up for it, but they didn’t have anything for art. So, I made my own box and checked off that I’d like to do art for the town, because I’m an artist,” Billings said. “I’ve also worked on a couple of utility boxes around town. … I painted a Blue Lobster at Vinnin Square, one patriotic-themed near the cemetery, and two murals at the library.”
Billings continued, saying that she was asked by Acting Town Administrator Gino Cresta and Jodi Watts, who runs the Senior/Veteran Tax Work Off Program, to transform the blank wall into a piece of art.
“The idea of the wave came because all Swampscott schools call themselves the ‘Big Blue,’ and to me, when I hear that, I think of a big blue wave,” Billings said.
She added that the DPW crew has helped her apply the primary light-blue coat of paint before she got started designing the wave.
For Billings, another element of inspiration came from “The Great Wave of Kanagawa,” a painting by Hokusai from 1831.
Billings expressed that the new mural helps bring attention to the DPW’s hard work around town, with a special homage to make the message clear.
Toward the bottom of the wave, in big letters, will read “Public Works makes it happen,” a quote she said came from bumper stickers to show solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I hope that the community feels like the DPW deserves attention and credit. The DPW was working every day. … You hear a lot of people thanking police and fire departments, but I don’t think I heard anyone talk about the DPW,” Billings said. “They kept things running smoothly, and they really did ‘make it happen.’”
