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Site Navigation Vinton Industries Art Studio 
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Vinton Industries, Inc.
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After hearing a few people ask, "whats the story with the mural?, who painted it, and why?" we felt as though we should write the story of the mural, so that it would not be forgotten. |
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Shortly after the Wall Street Journal wrote a front page story about the lack of funding in the Vinton County MR/DD and Vinton Industries, (October 19, 2004) several people from all over the country made several donations to help the struggling agency. |
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One local woman, Teresa Ellsesser was deeply moved by one particular paragraph from the article. ‘Several weeks ago, the Elks Club in neighboring Jackson County gave Ms. Bowling a $2,500 check. She's going to use it to buy a special board so her staff can safely transfer people out of wheelchairs. If there's enough left, she wants to buy a recliner that vibrates to stimulate the muscles of those who can't move them on their own. It would go in the small, windowless room off the workshop floor, officially designated as a tornado shelter, but which she wants to dedicate to the more severely disabled.’ ‘Many county agencies have rooms especially for the severely disabled. These rooms, some the size of a gymnasium, can be filled with massage tables, colored lights, soft music and interactive toys to provide stimulation for those who can't talk or walk.’ |
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She visualized the “small, windowless room” that was once a tornado shelter, and knew that there was something she could do to help as well. You see, Teresa is an artist that specialized in painting huge murals on the walls of her clients (mostly little children). She enjoyed her work and was rewarded by the smiles as the little ones saw their rooms for the first time. |
Teresa moved to Vinton County in 1983 and raised four children there, which made this a great opportunity to give something back to the community. So, on Thanksgiving weekend 2004 she proceeded to turn a small windowless tornado shelter into a room that the Vinton Industries individuals would enjoy sitting and relaxing in by painting a full size mural on three of the four concrete walls in the room. |
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When asked about what prompted her to contact Vinton Industries and offer her help, Teresa said “The Wall Street Journal article simply broke my heart, and the part about the small windowless tornado shelter being using for therapy, told me that I have to do something” She finished by saying “I’m just glad that I was able to help, it felt good to know that I could do something special for these kids." Her brother George Stanley and sister-in-law Theresa, who are also very talented artists, came from Perry County to lend a helping hand. This was to be Teresa's last mural because an unknown illness was making it difficult for her to continue painting. Her brother, knowing how deeply devoted his sister was to this project stepped up and by her side George and his wife helped Teresa to created a beautiful peaceful mural for everyone to enjoy. |
Now several years later, Teresa was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and can no longer paint. However, as you can see by our staff pictures on our new Website http://vintonindustries.com everyone is still to this day enjoying the huge mural that was donated by Teresa Ellsesser and George and Theresa Stanley. If you would like to send an email to Teresa or George simply send it to webmaster@vintonindustries.com and it will be forwarded to her.
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