MURALS PROVIDE POSTCARDS OF PAST

Murals tell a story about the community in which they are located.

"Murals are wonderful postcard into the past and the heart and soul of the city and into the citizens of the city," said J. Tim Blattner of the River Heritage Mural Association.

"Cape Girardeau is fast becoming known as a town of murals," said Mary Miller, director of the Convention & Visitor's Bureau. "People are asking us about our Wall of Fame and other historical murals."

Besides the giant river wall mural, Cape Girardeau boasts two murals by artist Jake Wells, murals inside City Hall and Washington School, and the printing history murals on the side of the Southeast Missourian newspaper building. Southeast Missouri Hospital has a mural inside its new lobby. The list goes on and on.

When the mural association first started, organizers made a bold claim that 10 murals would be developed within 10 years.

Blattner admitted there were doubters in the beginning. The association itself has had a hand in developing seven murals, but more than 10 have been completed. Also several of the seven murals were large projects, including the "Wall of Fame," a giant 14-by-500-foot mural on the city's Mississippi River wall.

"Will we continue well into the 21st century? There is no question about that," Blattner said. "It's turning the corner at this point. The response has been really good."

Blattner predicted that murals will become more and more a standard decoration in towns all around the area.

Already, Jackson has joined the mural march. The city sponsored a contest for a mural design and a historical offering by artist Grant Lund was selected.

The mural was painted on the north wall of the Clabaugh building in downtown Jackson.

Lund's design features a large portrait of President Andrew Jackson, after whom the city is named, as well as a Homecomers banner, a blacksmith, the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse and old-time musicians.

With one mural successfully completed, the Jackson mural committee remains active and is considering other suitable walls crying out for murals around the city.

Paducah, Ky., has elaborate riverfront murals and Sikeston is talking about developing a mural.

Blattner thinks the Cape Girardeau effort helped spark interest in surrounding communities.

To capitalize on the tourism potential of Cape Girardeau's murals, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is printing a brochure featuring the city's murals.

The brochure, which should be available in about a month, will tell the history of the city and how the murals retell some of that history.

For example, the Wall of Fame on the Cape Girardeau floodwall draws lots of visitors. People are interested in learning about the famous Missourians whose likenesses appear on the mural.

The brochure will be mailed to potential visitors and available to guests to Cape Girardeau. Often visitors are interested in self-guided tours, so the brochure will include a locator map for the murals.

"Tourism for the 21st century will be important to Cape Girardeau," Blattner said. "Murals will be part of the tourism effort."

No specific mural is on the drawing board today, but Blattner is confident more will be developed over the next few years.

And murals already in place will continue into the next century. When first painted, each mural is designed to last 10 years. A fund is in place to refurbish the existing murals. The Riverfest mural downtown recently received a touch up.

"It's been an awful lot of work," Blattner said. "But people have been wonderful about this. I feel really pleased and look forward to continuing."

OFF THE WALL: CAPE GIRARDEAU'S MURALS

Missouri Wall of Fame: Appearing on the Mississippi River floodwall in downtown Cape Girardeau are more than 40 famous persons who were born in Missouri or achieved fame while living in the state. Among the celebrities are President Harry S. Truman, Jesse James, Samuel Clemens and Rush Limbaugh.

Welcome to Cape Mural: Depicting 200 years of Cape Girardeau history, the mural is located on the east side of the floodwall in the downtown district.

Coca-Cola Mural: Located on Themis Street, on the north side of the Port Cape Girardeau building, this advertisement predates the 1920s and was reconditioned in 1978.

River Heritage Mural: This mural, located on Themis Street directly across from the Port Cape Girardeau building, symbolizes the history of Cape Girardeau as a river city.

Hecht's Store Mural: A cathedral ceiling with a mosaic mural offers a unique entrance to this 1928 building on Main Street.

Riverfest Mural: This mural is located on the west side of the C.P. McGinty building and is best seen from the 100 block of North Spanish Street. The theme is the annual Riverfest, Cape Girardeau's salute to river heritage in June.

Southeast Missourian Murals: These murals, located on the east side of the Southeast Missourian newspaper office, 301 Broadway, depict the history of printing and the art of disseminating the news. The first of their kind in America, the murals took 10 years to develop and two years to make.

Jake Wells Bicentennial Mural: This mural, high on the east side of a building at 405 Broadway, depicts the founding of Cape Girardeau.

Heritage of Music Mural: Located on the west wall of the Shivelbine's Music Building at 535 Broadway, this mural celebrates the musical history of Cape Girardeau.

Jake Wells University Mural: Located inside Kent Library on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, the mural is a memorial to the strength and determination of the people who lived and worked in Southeast Missouri.

City Hall Murals: City Hall, 401 Independence, originally housed Lorimier School. Murals of Ole King Cole, Three Men in a Tub, Huck Finn and Long John Silver provide a decorative touch to the corridors.

History of Medicine Mural: The 72-by-11-foot oil mural on the curved facade of the hospital lobby blends mythology and reality into an educational timeline of the history of medicine.