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Artist adds nostalgic touch to spruce up Elkhorn building

Photo

Christopher Burlini

Florida artist Christopher Burlini painted this vintage Coca-Cola mural on the back of the former Pete’s Tire building in downtown Elkhorn. Burlini also was the artist for the Uncle Hunk’s Junk building, seen in the background. Terry Mayer/staff.

ELKHORN — You might say painter Christopher Burlini was in a “nostalgic” mood when he came to Elkhorn this summer.

Burlini, a fine art oil painter from Florida, not only returned to the scene of a former project, he also painted a vintage-looking Coca-Cola advertisement downtown.

The mural is on the back of a building at Lincoln and Walworth streets, which is owned by Gary and Sue Wallem. The building, formerly owned by a farmers’ cooperative, got a fresh red-and-white paint job earlier this year.

“The first purpose was to make the building look better for the community,” Sue Wallem said. “It needed some TLC.”

The Coca-Cola mural enhances the building as a piece of artwork, she said.

The new mural is across the street from the Uncle Hunk’s Junk building, which Burlini painted several years back.

Gary Wallem has known Burlini since Burlini was a child, Sue Wallem said.

The Wallems hope to find a tenant for the restored building, but will be patient, considering the economy, Wallem said.

“For now ... (we’ll) probably display vintage cars and have fun with it,” she said.

Read more local news in the next e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, HERE.