Right: Soon-to-be Eagle Scout Sam Schotzko adds primer to overlooked spots at the Art Wall Park.

NEW ULM — The Art Wall Park received a fresh coat of primer this weekend, and the foliage surrounding the wall has been trimmed back.

The work was the idea of 17-year-old Sam Schotzko for his Eagle Scout project. For the last three weekends, Schotzko and other helpful volunteers have been shoring up the rough edges around the park.

They started by trimming back brush that had grown up along the trail behind the art wall. The chainlink fence along the top of the wall was covered in vines and brush until recently. Schotzko and his team eliminated the brush over the last few weekends and on Saturday began adding primer to the wall.

Schotzko said he often comes to the Art Wall Park with friends, and it is something he wanted to update. The wall needs an extra coat of primer every few years. He said an Eagle Scout had repainted the wall five years ago.

Schotzko hopes whitewashing the wall will give local artists a fresh canvas to create art.