Colorful new art is now gracing the sides of businesses in Stroud, as the town took part in the Route 66 Mural Festival. Three new murals were showcased on July 17, alongside the artists that helped bring them to life.
The City of Stroud organized a tour, starting at a mural painted on the west edge of town on Route 66 by art students under the direction of art teacher Leslie Martin. It then continued to a mural on the side of Palmer’s Place and the last on the side of 201 W. Main Street.
“Murals add a touch of art and a lot of beauty that is welcomingtotravelers,”saidCityManagerBobPearman. “The neon signs attract nighttime visitors, the murals are another reason to visit Stroud in the daytime.”
About 14 art students from Stroud Public Schools helped create the mural at anAirBnB owned by John and Janna Collins, under the direction of Martin. The mural came about to help celebrate Route 66 and Stroud’s close connection to the Mother Road.
Collin Birchmier created the mural on Palmer’s Place and said even before he could draw, he was fascinated with old characters and cafes. When he was asked to do the mural, he saw the checker-board print and knew what he wanted to do. The mural includes portraits of Stroud founder James Stroud, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Cyrus Avery, the father of Route 66.
Painting accidentally became a business. Birchmier said he was on bridges and hanging off overpasses and he once dreamed of going to college to become an art teacher. That didn’t exactly work out. However, when he was older, he got back into painting and something in his soul started kicking off.
“I excelled so much, all of a sudden people were like, ‘Hey, would you paint this? What do you charge for this? What do you charge for this?’ And really it just kind of accidentally turned into a business, but now that it is, it’s gonna keep rolling,” he said.
The new mural is covering up a previous one of Indiana Jones and Charles Palmer, who is financing the new diner though his daughter will run it, worried how that would go over.
“I thought, man, I’m going to get crucified over it, cleaning up, covering up the Indiana Jones,” he said, but continued that it’s going to be really cool once it’s fully finished.
Palmer has also been instrumental in getting the Route 66 revitalization grants for the neon signs.
Further down the road next door to OnCue, Nicolas Blanchard created “Sacred Path,” a colorful mural that encompasses not only Chevy and Route 66, but represents Sac and Fox culture. His mural, includes a portrait of Jim Thorpe and the Sac and Fox Nation crest.
Blanchard is Shawnee Sac and Fox and said he wanted to do something for the tribe as well as celebrate Route 66. He said his aunts and grandmother have always helped motivate him.
“They’re all gone now, so to keep their memories alive is to keep going,” he said.
This was the advice he offered to young artists -- like his grandmother said, keep going no matter what. And don’t be afraid to try different mediums and to experiment.
For him, Blanchard said it feels good to have such a large artwork of his showcased in Stroud.
“It’s wonderful to know that, I’m from Shawnee, so knowing that my art reached this far, hopefully it can reach even further and further,” he said. “But other than that, it’s like, when my time is coming up, when my time is over, these will still be here, and it makes me feel wonderful knowing that my kids can drive around. They see it for a while, they know who did it, and it feels good.”
The Route 66 Mural Festival ran from July 17 to 19 and was part of a statewide Weekend of Local, which encouraged visitors to shop local. Several locations along Route 66 from Vinita down to Yukon unveiled new murals during the festival. The new murals at the Daveport Welcome Center were also part of the route.