EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – When heading to the movies, many expect to see neat visuals on the big screen. That’s a major draw for the whole experience. But at Micon Cinemas, you can see impressive visuals before you even reach your seat.
“It makes me so happy that I’m able to do this, even in such a small community,” Cici Thomas, an employee at Micon Chippewa Falls, said.
Heading into Micon Cinemas, there might be something that catches your eye.
“I was very nervous. A little shaky for my first go around with the windows,” Thomas said. “Now that I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s almost like second nature to me.”
She’s talking about artwork taken years to perfect.
“Usually the night before, I’ll look up a bunch of photos about the movie, sometimes the posters, something just other things people have made,” Megan Vatland, an employee at Micon Eau Claire, said.
Vatland prefers to draw more realistic images of people. Thomas prefers other characters, like animated ones.
“I love drawing animals, characters and things like that,” Thomas said.
The movie murals at Micon Cinemas take hours, if not days to complete.
“Right now, I’m doing all the darks because it’s easiest to see through the light,” Vatland said as she was working on a painting.
“I feel really relaxed when I draw,” Thomas said. “So whenever I’m having a bad day I’m like, ‘well, I’ll just sketch a little bit and always without a doubt makes me feel much better than I was.‘”
But, Micon Cinemas can also use these pieces to preview upcoming films.
“That’s another reason why I do the paintings here is for marketing, to get people to come to the theatre,” Thomas said.
The art does more than that though. For Vatland, it can help her prepare for a future job. She’s going to school for scientific illustration. For Cici, it helps her introduce people to her.
“It’s almost like a sense of identity. It’s who I am,” Thomas said. “Nobody’s pieces are going to look exactly the same.”
So the next time you go to Micon Cinemas, keep an eye out for the latest window mural and think about what, or who you may be seeing.
“When I get to see my art displayed, it’s like…that’s me,” Thomas said.
Each week WEAU also breaks down the latest movie releases in the Silver Screen Spotlight. That segment runs on Fridays during Hello Wisconsin and in the 4 p.m. show.
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