Mural by Åmål artists

Art and culture play an integral role in the communities of both De Pere and Åmål. Through the Sister City Program each city has been able to exchange, collaborate on and implement economic and social programs to better both respective communities. The “Interlaced” mural in De Pere was created to visually represent this relationship.

The Construction

In June of 2019, De Pere’s connection with our sister city was celebrated through the creation of the “Interlaced” mural.  Located at 115 N. Wisconsin Street, “Interlaced” became the sixth mural in the De Pere public art initiative. Two artists, Funny Livdotter and Emelie Rygfelt Wilander, traveled from Åmål, Sweden to partner with the community of De Pere to construct the mural. Community members of all ages turned out to participate in an interactive day of painting which celebrated our local community as well as our international partnership.

The Meaning

The mural itself represents the partnership between De Pere and Åmål. The background is a mixture of watery shades of blue and green to represent water. A bright pink twisted braid was then painted on top to symbolize the strength of the community, as well as the collaboration between the two cities.