A years-long dream of many in Gerald is about to come to fruition in the near future. A mural will soon adorn the south wall of the former MFA feed store on Main Street just north of the Rock Island Trail State Park.

Ray Harvey, owner of  RayHarveyArt, was selected to paint the mural. Harvey lives in rural New Haven and has painted more than 600 murals, both indoor and out, across the state and also in Arizona. He says the mural in Gerald will be the closest he has worked to his home. Examples of his work can be found on his Facebook page.

The Rock Island Bloomers, a local group dedicated to improving the appearance of the town, pushed the planning phase of the mural project to the finish line recently. Other dedicated community volunteers joined the effort including donating significant money to the project.

Harvey will charge $21,000 for the painting which will cover the entire exterior south wall. It will include a 1910 steam engine, Gerald’s Rock Island Depot, the old two-story bandstand, cyclists and walkers along the trail. Also included on the stripes of the flag are lines from the “Rock Island Line” a song made famous by Huddie (Leadbelly) Ledbetter and later recorded by Johnny Cash and others.

Other expenses include the rental of an electric scissor lift and finishing the wall’s surface in preparation for the artist’s work. These could add another $3,800 to the project. Therefore the group is looking to raise a total of $24,800 of which $11,000 has already been collected or committed. The mural can be expected to last 25 years.

Harvey requires half of his fee be paid when work begins, weather permitting, in early May. That money has been raised. The final payment to Harvey will be due at the completion of the job which Harvey estimates will take three weeks.

Jason Pauk, owner of the building on which the mural will be painted, is enthusiastic about the project.

The Bloomers operate under the auspices of the Gerald Area Library which is committed to strengthening the Main Street district in Gerald.

A library has opened a separate bank account for the mural project at First State Community Bank in Gerald. At a meeting of the library’s board of directors Monday night the group discussed procedures for transparency in collecting the money.

It was decided that a public file would be kept at the library showing all transactions for the mural account. Donors will remain anonymous and referred to only by a donor number. All deposits and debits for the account will be public.

Marianne Netscher, president of the board of directors, stressed that library funds and mural funds would be scrupulously kept separate.

Gloria Flottmann, treasurer of the group agreed and will keep a separate recording of both accounts. She will also update the mural files in a timely manner.

The completed mural is sure to become a landmark for Gerald, something by which people will refer to the town. It will certainly brighten the center of the community and be a welcoming sight to visitors of the new Rock Island State Park.

If you would like to make a donation to the project, either large or small, the process is simple. Contributions to the mural fund may be made directly at the bank or can by mailed to Gerald Library, P.O. Box 212, Gerald, MO 63037. Donations may also be made at the library, 357 S. Main St., Gerald.

The Gerald Area Library is a 501(c)3 corporation and donations are tax deductible.

Donors, if they so wish, will be recognized on a sign that will be placed on the property.