Bicentennial mural uses hands from around world in creation

"We did this because we love Missouri and we wanted to do something to show that and give people the chance to show the same thing," Aaron Horrell said of the Missouri Bicentennial Mural he and Barb Bailey organized.

More than 16,000 people took part in painting the Bicentennial Mural, which now hangs in the Harry S. Truman Building in Jefferson City. The 12 foot tall, 30 foot wide mural features various state symbols and will be officially unveiled June 23 in Missouri's state capital.

Horrell and Bailey, owners of Painted Wren Art Gallery at 620 Whitelaw Ave. in Cape Girardeau, came up with the idea for the mural in 2018 after Michael Sweeney, bicentennial coordinator for the State Historical Society of Missouri, arrived in Cape Girardeau and was interested in big projects celebrating the history of Missouri, which became a state Aug. 10, 1821.

Horrell and Bailey decided on including 19 state symbols — including Missouri's state tree, instrument and dinosaur, and the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which became Missouri's state monument after the mural's completion.

"It happened because the teacher and the kids in Farmington (Missouri), where a portion of the mural was painted, the teacher took it to the floor of Missouri's chambers and, long story short, it went to the floor and was approved without any objection," Horrell said.

Aaron Horrell of Cape Girardeau and Barb Bailey of Bollinger County, Missouri, lead artists for the Missouri Bicentennial Mural, show off the mural hanging inside the Truman Building in Jefferson City. The mural features 19 state symbols and involved 16,116 painters. A dedication for the mural will be held June 23.Courtesy of Aaron Horrell

Horrell and Bailey contacted city leaders and school officials throughout Missouri to begin having residents paint sections of the mural; each painting one 2-inch triangle.

Bailey said the project brought out a diversity of people from all over the state.

"Farmers, bankers, teachers, artists, people of all colors, different backgrounds, we had a wide variety of people who participated," Bailey said. "The youngest painter was a 12-day-old twin baby girl who's father helped her paint and the oldest was an 102-year-old woman."

Once the bicentennial mural was completed, 16,116 people had participated in the three-year long project. Horrell and Bailey kept a journal of each painter's name, age, hometown and occupation to recognize the people who helped bring the project to fruition. Horrell said it was an "astounding opportunity to be a part of."

"I remember helping an elderly man who was in a wheelchair and he could barely talk," he said. "Some older people just can't get their joints to go, they freeze up and he could not move his arm. So, I helped him, little by little, to get closer to the painting. When the brush actually touched the panel and he started painting, he suddenly got his motion back and was able to move his arm. It was amazing."

The project unofficially broke the world record for most artists contributing on a single painting, but is not officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. Bailey said she has submitted the documents to have it recognized. The record is held by the country of Qatar after more than 13,000 people participated in creating a painting.

The funding for the project came from numerous organizations, including Visit Cape, along with funds from Bailey and Horrell themselves.

Once unveiled, Missouri's Bicentennial Mural will be able to be viewed from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays at the Harry S. Truman State Office Building cafeteria in Jefferson City.

"Hopefully, everyone who participated will get a chance to go see it," Horrell said. "We know we had over 350 cities in the State of Missouri represented. We know we had people from 30 different states, 17 different countries."

Horrell and Bailey operate a project called Paint For A Cause. Individuals are able to pay $1 to contribute in painting a small portion of a large creation and all proceeds go to different charitable causes.