MURALS PROVIDE ARTISTIC VIEW OF CAPE GIRARDEAU'S HERITAGE

If a painting is worth a thousand words, then a lot's been written about Cape Girardeau's heritage through the artistry of mural painters in the past seven years.

A new mural -- the sixth in the River Heritage Mural Association's goal of 10 murals in 10 years -- is taking shape on the west side of the brick building housing Shivelbine's Music store.

Fittingly, the mural pays tribute to the city's musical legacy and the Silver Cornet Band, which evolved in the 1920s into what is today the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band.

The mural -- patterned after an old photograph -- paints an image of long-ago musicians with their handlebar mustaches, ramrod posture and old instruments. The 30-by-20-foot mural, which faces Frederick Street, depicts the band members seated as though preparing for a concert.

The Shivelbine building, which has long been a Broadway landmark, offers the perfect canvas. The building formerly was the Planter's House Hotel, erected around 1850.

No government subsidy is responsible for this artistry. The Shivelbine family, the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Merchants Association will pay the $6,000 cost. Lone Star Cement Co. and the Southeast Missouri State University art department have also helped out in terms of labor and design.

In this, Cape's bicentennial year, we applaud the efforts of the mural association in turning building walls into signposts of local history.

Last year, local artist Jake Wells' mural depicting the founding of Cape Girardeau gave colorful life to the bare wall of a building at Broadway and Fountain streets.

There are other murals in the downtown area, one looking down on Spanish Street and another at Themis and Water streets.

A mural, which was nearly covered by floodwaters this summer, greets visitors to the river side of the floodwall -- offering a "quick read" of our city.

The murals shout out appreciation of Cape Girardeau's heritage, and offer both out-of-town visitors and residents alike instant snapshots of the character of the community.

Local businessman Tim Blattner has been a driving force in the creation of the murals. His dedication and those of others continues to set the stage for this unique artwork.

When the mural association was established, Blattner said the murals would serve to enhance the beauty and attractiveness of the city, and also help develop a sense of community pride.

The murals in eloquent silence have done just that, turning Cape's skyline into a gallery of images that vividly bring the culture of this city to life.

When the idea of painting 10 murals first surfaced, some people may have wondered just how much heritage do we have to draw on for such paintings. The answer clearly is -- plenty.

In viewing today's murals, we look forward to future mural creations that will help define and celebrate our past.

To those involved in the murals, we say: Keep painting.