Guardians of Great Bend Mural was awarded the “Public Arts and Murals” grant through the Kansas Arts Commission.
The grant, applied for by the Great Bend Foundation, is for $10,000 and will help pay for a new mural at 10th Street and Main Street. All additional funding is provided by sponsors.
“The location presented itself as an opportunity to showcase a mural that truly depicted the heart and spirit of Great Bend,” Haley Ruble with Freestyle Marketing, who spearheaded the efforts, said. “We wanted to come up with a design that instilled pride in our community. The first responder appreciation theme was a perfect fit.”
When Barry Stalcup, owner of Comfort Pro and the building on which the mural is being painted approached Ruble with the idea, she searched for design inspiration and found a mural in Illinois.
“It was incredible,” she said. “The detail and imagery was truly captivating.”
The muralist behind the design was Madeline Deiters, a 17-year-old muralist from Illinois who has been creating murals since 2021. She begins work on the Great Bend mural July 29.
Once the muralist was secured and a budget set, Ruble said it was time to figure out how to pay for the project.
“Christina Hayes pointed us in the direction of the Public Arts and Murals grants from the Kansas Department of Commerce and connected us with the Great Bend Foundation. We began the process of applying for the grant at the beginning of the year.”
Ruble said these grants are ‘matching funds’, which means an equal amount of money had to be raised to qualify for the grants.
“With the mural going up in such a prime part of town, it made sense to offer sponsorships that allowed our business community the ability to showcase their support of our first responders, as well as get their business logo placed on the mural,” she said.
The final fundraising piece was through brick sponsorships that gave people an opportunity to specifically honor the first responders in their lives by putting their names on the bricks of the mural. In total, 28 bricks were purchased to honor first responders and police K9s.
“We've been truly amazed by the support the mural has received,” Ruble said. “Businesses have reached out, eager to be a part of the project, and we've even sold out of our top sponsorship level ($2500).”
Troy's Color Clinic is providing the paint for the mural.
“That just exemplifies the vital role local businesses play in community initiatives,” she said. “This is why shopping locally is so important. Our local businesses support countless projects, teams, organizations, and non-profits; they are the backbone of our community.”
Ruble said those still interested in supporting the mural can purchase shirts through Identifications, Inc. Visit the online shop at: https://guardiansofgreatbend.itemorder.com/shop/home/