By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Recreation Commission has focused on revamping the City Auditorium over the past year. Last summer, contractors repainted the auditorium and replaced the lighting above the gym with LED lights. This past spring, the Rec Board approved a remodel of the main restrooms on the northwest corner of the auditorium.
To finish off the gym renovations, Great Bend native Anna Popp is painting a mural on the east wall above the seating.
"The Rec was strong with wanting a sports theme, but more than that they wanted some of their other activities portrayed," said Popp. "Other things the Rec does like art, cooking and classes outside of sports."
Popp graduated Great Bend High School in 2021 and is entering her senior year at the University of Kansas this fall. Popp has already painted several murals around the Great Bend area and other parts of the state but said the Rec Center mural has provided exciting differences.
"This mural has a little more abstract shapes and a lot of people," said Popp. "I think the biggest difference is just the scale of this is large and having to work scaffolding behind chairs."
Having until August to finish the mural, Popp expected to have it complete in a few weeks. Popp added after college she would like to continue mural painting or possibly working in a museum.
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