MENOMONIE – For 23 years, Wade Lambrigtsen’s hand-painted signs, murals and marquees have provided regional businesses and organizations with professional graphics that are visually dynamic and aesthetically creative, raising the Chippewa Valley’s expectations of high-quality public art. Lambrightson recently received UW-Stout’s Luminary Alumni Award.
Lambrigtsen, owner and proprietor of Vintage Sign Shop in Menomonie, started his business from scratch in his basement after earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from UW-Stout.
His signs adorn, among other locations, UW-Stout’s Memorial Student Center, Leinenkugel’s, the Silver Dollar Saloon and the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, for which he also recently hand-stenciled the lower-level Spirit Room. He also designs and produces lighted, dimensional, window and vehicle signage.
Vintage Sign Shop was named the 2014 Menomonie Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year and received the 2023 and 2024 Downtown Menomonie Preserving Our Heritage Award.
Lambrigtsen has painted murals in eight states and offers his expertise to students through paid apprenticeships. Serving as a role model and mentor, he guides them through the mural installation process and speaks in-depth about how to establish their own business. He encourages them to work hard, take chances, join workshops and find a network of fellow artists or muralists.
He has collaborated with students on several murals in downtown Menomonie, including at Town and Country Antiques, C&J’s Candy Store, Ted’s Pizza and Toppers Pizza.
As a guest lecturer in UW-Stout’s School of Art and Design, Lambrigtsen elevates the visibility of students’ public art through the Graffiti and Street Art course, which he co-developed and co-teaches with Professor Cynthia Bland.
The end-product of the course is a high caliber student-designed and installed mural. Three murals have been installed on the university’s Applied Arts Building since summer 2022.
“This mural collaboration has generated an effect that will not only create beautiful art around our campus and community, art will bring people in, pique their curiosity, increase business and teach our town’s history. Not to mention giving students something to be proud of and bring their family and friends here to show what they helped create and understand that they can make a good living creating murals and make a positive impact in our world,” said Lambrigtsen, who grew up in Northfield, Wis.
Bland, who nominated her colleague for the award, believes that “Wade’s time and support for our students’ development as artists and designers has been invaluable. He showcases how to create a successful and lucrative career as a painter.”
Lambrigtsen’s contribution to public art in Menomonie will continue in summer 2026, when he will act as project leader and events coordinator for the Menomonie Open Walldogs Festival, which will run June 24-28.
Over the course of five days, more than 200 international artists will complete 15 large-scale murals across the city, representing the community’s history, culture, values and stories through a diverse range of artistic styles.
A veteran Walldogs muralist since 2012, Lambrigtsen has participated in 12 festivals across the country, six as project leader. He is a member of the Menomonie project’s executive committee, collaborating with city leaders and community members in the festival planning process.
“I will always be truly grateful to UW-Stout for my art education and for the opportunity not only to make signs throughout the years for the university, but also for inviting me back as a guest instructor to teach the joy of mural painting to students,” said Lambrigtsen, who was a nontraditional student, starting at UW-Stout at age 24 after serving as an infantryman in the Marine Corps for four years.
