A reception will be held Sunday for the artist, donors and volunteers who contributed 5,000 work hours and $20,000 in paint to a mural at Three Rivers College.
The event will begin at 4 p.m. at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center, where artist Paul Jackson oversaw the creation of a 17.5 by 62-foot painting in July and early August.
"With all the help we had in the community, it was just a really wonderful, richly rewarding experience." said Steve Whitworth, director of Margaret Harwell Art Museum, which coordinated the project.
The mural is entirely unique to Poplar Bluff, and is the largest project Jackson has ever undertaken, Whitworth said.
The curve of the building and insets in the panels on the wall presented challenges during the painting, as did the weather, he continued.
Jackson, who contributed 1,000 hours of time to the project, painted from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. during the hottest part of the summer.
"The weather was consistently hot most of the time. If he tried to paint during the day, his paint brush would be glued to wall," Whitworth said.
Occasional rain presented other problems, Whitworth said. An entire four hours of work was washed away in one shower, he said.
Donations of watermelon, popsicles and other items to help beat the heat were very much appreciated, according to Whitworth.
In addition to representations of the St. Francis, Black and Current rivers, the painting, "River Dreams," also includes the images of 100 different species of birds.
The profile of the Greek goddess of spring, Persephone, blows life into the landscape from the center of the mural, while elements of Jackson's award-winning Missouri quarter design are also present. Lewis and Clark can be seen in their canoe in the lower left panel, with the Arch in the distance.
"(Paul) loves this area and he was able to express himself. It was just a great event, cultural experience and social experience. People working together for a common goal," Whitworth said.
Prints of the mural will be available for purchase Sunday and are also sold in the museum gift shop.
The following sponsors made this mural possible: Southern Bank, platinum sponsor; Commerce Bancshares and First Midwest Bank, gold sponsors; Rose Anne Huck, Emily Kinder Wolpers, and Evelyn Whitworth and Whitworth's Gift Chest Jewelers, silver sponsors; Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, Catherine Bryant, Kim Duncan, Baldwin Ford, Ron Dowd/Dowd Industrial Supply, Kajacs Construction/Bootheel Rental, bronze sponsors; and Herman Styles, Alan Payne, contributing sponsors.
The project also had a diamond sponsor, who is a fan of Jackson's work, Whitworth said. Lisa Franklin of Tequesta, Fla. provided $7,500 after learning of the project.
The effort was fully paid for through donations, he said.
More than 50 volunteers participated, including Jackson's wife, Marla; Rose Anne Huck; 14-year-old Mattie Stacy; Ron Dowd; Herman Styles; Mandy Bates; and Marty Harlan.
The museum also receives financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council.