Neosho Mural set for demolition; community has time to view it before it’s gone
Neosho will be losing a piece of public art located at Scenic Park to make way for new restroom facilities that will soon be constructed. Recently the City of Neosho contacted Neosho Arts Council about their plans to tear down the park’s current restrooms on which a portion of a mural is painted.
“Nature’s Treasurers” was painted in the summer of 2021 by area artist Elizabeth Wallsmith. Neosho Arts Council sponsored the creation of the mural in the town’s historic Scenic Park. It is one mural that wraps completely around two buildings and was painted in a style resembling a completed coloring book. The mural’s installation coincided with the Missouri Bicentennial and it features symbols of both Neosho and the state of Missouri.
“It is unfortunate that a piece of this mural will be torn down but we are grateful that Kenny Balls, Neosho’s Parks and Recreation Manager, informed us early in the process about the plans,” said Sarah Serio, president of Neosho Arts Council.
“Any artist who dedicates time and talent to a public piece knows it has potential of not being there as long as it is desired,” Wallsmith said. “Seeing your hard work removed can be discouraging but both the City of Neosho and Neosho Art Council have included me in the process which makes the change easier to accept. Considering how I feel makes me as the artist feel that what efforts I put in were still worth it.”
The early notification about the mural’s removal has given the arts council and Wallsmith the opportunity to begin planning for a new addition to the mural to be installed after the new restrooms are built.
“As soon as I was alerted to the plans to tear down the current restroom building I contacted the artist to explain what would be happening and to begin planning the murals next phase,” Serio said. The goal is to honor the lost portion of the mural after the new restrooms are constructed.
“To feel valued as an artist by having the opportunity to create art in the space again is exciting,” Wallsmith added. “I am honored that I would be given another opportunity, something I wasn’t expecting through this change.”
The second building, which services as a concession stand, is home to half of the mural and will remain.
“Nature’s Treasurers” is one of the murals featured in the arts council Murals of Neosho Guide and Descriptive Audio Tour. This guide includes a detailed description of the artwork, video and photos of the work, plus a behind the scenes look at the mural’s creation.
“We are fortunate that this mural was one of the first pieces we included in our descriptive audio tour as it will now preserve the work in its original form,” Serio said. That guide will remain available to the public through neoshoarts.net. The arts council plans to document the murals removal and add that to the guide to maintain a comprehensive history of the murals life.
The arts council will also document Wallsmith’s work to create a new addition to the mural on the new restroom structure. This will be added to the mural guide along with a new audio description.
The community has the rest of the month to view “Nature’s Treasures” in its original form before the restroom building is torn down.
“Nature’s Treasures” features the colorful flora and fauna of the city of Neosho and the state of Missouri. Two notable features that will be lost are a three-toed box turtle which is the state reptile and vines of purple grapes that are symbolic of Hermann Jaeger, a Swiss immigrant, who settled 6 miles east of Neosho in 1865. His vineyard and work with native grapes helped save the French wine industry when it was devastated by disease in the 1870’s.
Neosho has been known as the “Flower Box City” since the 1950’s and was the inspiration for the many flowers seen in the mural. The roses were inspired by the rose bushes in Big Spring Park while native coneflowers speak to the prairies of the area.
Dogwood trees are a prominent feature of the mural on both buildings and represent both the Missouri State Tree and Neosho’s annual Dogwood Tour. In 1961 the Rotary Club initiated the Neosho Dogwood Tour which has brought thousands of guests to town to enjoy the tree’s spring blooms.
The Missouri state bird, Easter bluebird; insect, the honey bee; and amphibian, American bullfrog are all included in the mural. Plus a variety of other insects, birds, and plants all found in our area.
To learn more about murals in Neosho and the work of Neosho Arts Council visit their website or follow NeoshoArts on Facebook and Instagram.
