Volpi Foods is celebrating its 120th anniversary in January, and the family-owned business is putting out a call for artist concepts for a painting at its flagship store on the Hill.
The company wants the artwork to reflect the significance of the Italian neighborhood in St. Louis and the importance of immigrants to both the city and the country.
"I hope that it kind of adds to the desire to keep that drive alive in America. That immigrant success story I think is very important to the future of America," said Volpi Foods CEO Lorenza Pasetti.
Her great uncle, John Volpi, came to St. Louis from Milan, Italy, and started dry-curing meats. Volpi Foods launched in the Hill in 1902 and has grown into a fourth-generation, family-owned company that ships throughout the country.
Pasetti wants the mural, along with reflecting on the story of immigrants, to be another attraction for the area.
"Ideally, we'd like to have people that visit the Hill, take pictures in front of it, you know, as a memory," she said. "And we want the community of the Hill to be excited about it."
The deadline for submissions is July 30. They can be emailed to muralcontest@volpifoods.com.
Volpi will choose 10 semifinalists in early August, and the public will vote on its five favorites. A committee will select the winner and announce it on Aug. 30. The winning artist will receive $6,000 to make the design a reality.
Volpi is planning a public unveiling of the mural this fall.
