World-class artist to paint city mural

COLUMBUS - The building on the northeast corner of the 13th Street and 26th Avenue intersection will be receiving a “historic” paint job.

Two years ago, when the sesquicentennial was in the organizational stages, a subcommittee was directed to research and come up with a “Historical Event.”

After attending several formative meetings with numerous ideas considered, the committee chose to research the possibility of having a mural as the event.

The committee, chaired by John Lohr who worked with members Lyle Ernst and Jerry Meyer, began selecting a location.

Lohr said after driving and walking the community innumerable times, the decision was made that the single best place for a mural was the west wall of the Executive Travel building facing Frankfort Square.

“The wall in question is huge, less than attractive and affords a presence that would be dominating for anyone driving down 13th Street in Columbus,” Lohr said.

The site considered did hold several potential problems, including 13 windows in the section of the wall best suited for the mural, to preclude any damage to the wall, all of the bricks above the work must be tuck pointed and the roof must be prepared to prevent moisture from getting behind the exterior surface and, because the wall faces west, there was concern for how long colors would last, he said.

Lohr said Bierman Contracting will be the general contractor for the wall preparation, Tucker Masonry will tuck point the bricks and Mueller and Schoepf will apply a system to produce a giant 26-foot by 84-foot canvas for the artist, he said.

Lohr said, after considerable research, a German company was found that produced a paint using a unique technology that enabled the colors to remain stable for a long period of time. The paint is designed for mural purposes and is actually absorbed into the prepared wall as opposed to lying on the surface, he said.

In addition to solving these complications, the committee also selected a muralist to complete the project.

“The committee considered a couple of mural companies, but then it came to our attention that a ‘Columbus boy' has become a world-class muralist,” Lohr said. “It became obvious that this world-class muralist with Columbus roots should be our choice as the artist.”

David Reiser, the selected artist, went to school and grew up in Columbus, he said. His portfolio includes murals in the Great Platte River Road Archway, Henry Doorly Zoo and the Fred Hoppe Museums, Lohr said.

A licensing agreement for the mural was accepted Monday that will allow the Chamber of Commerce access to the wall for the work in perpetuity, he said, and Steve Glenn, the owner of the building, agreed to sign the agreement.

The content of the mural has yet to be determined, but Reiser said he has conceptualized a basic idea of what could be on the wall. The idea will develop as Reiser plans to come to town as often as necessary to meet with interested organizations and citizens to get their input on what they feel should be included in the work.

Lohr said a small “Mural Content Committee” will be organized to review the artists' conceptions and make the final decisions on content. The individuals on the mural content committee are Lois Smith, Irene O'Brien, Bob Labenz, Sam Drinnin and Jeanne Kiser.

Lohr said the committee has obtained roughly $65,000 from businesses and individuals, but more than $5,000 is needed to complete funding for the project because of the unknowns of refurbishing a 95-year-old wall and because funding will be needed for future maintenance.

The committee is encouraging anyone who wishes to make a contribution to what will probably be one of the most lasting legacies of the sesquicentennial celebration, to send their contributions to the Columbus Community Foundation at the Chamber of Commerce and mark the donation for the mural.

Lohr said, “the Historical Event Committee firmly believes that the mural will end up being the single most impressive and lasting legacy of the sesquicentennial celebration.”

“We believe that as a signature work of art, it will be a destination for people from hundreds of miles around since it will be so prominent and it will have been painted by a world class artist,” he said. “The downtown area and the city as a whole should benefit over an extended period of time due to what the committee expects to be an absolutely fabulous addition to our community.”

The license agreement will soon be filed with the county and painting is scheduled to begin May 1, after the wall is prepared, weather permitting.

According to “The History of Platte County” by Margaret Curry, the three-story brick block was erected in 1911 by William H. Peosch, a prominent Columbus businessman. The building housed a bakery and sweet shop and served the city's first ice cream in 1906.