Grants Pass, Ore., — It’s said to be the largest mural in Southern Oregon.
The Grants Pass masterpiece is finished.
But as NBC5’s Nicole Stein shows us, the 200 foot work of art took three years and more than $50,000 dollars to complete.
“It’s a dream come true, if anyone ever doubts that dreams don’t come true well here’s living proof right here.”
Lisa Volkert’s mom, Mary, passed away three years ago and she decided she wanted to do something to memorialize her.
“I came back with this energy about, I’ve got to do this for my mom.”
Volkert drove past the blank wall of the Union Avenue Center every day on her way to work.
“It was just a blank, grey, cinder block wall.”
That’s when the idea came to her, a mural, and so became “The Gateway.”
Volkert enlisted the help of professional artist, Bob Eding to put together the design.
It took weeks of planning, months of fundraising, and three years of painting, but now it’s finally finished.
“It’s bittersweet because now I don’t have a place to go to every day, but it feels good to get this big massive mural done.”
The mural not only represents Lisa’s mom, but the entire Rogue Valley.
“It kind of represents water, and traveling through the hills.”
Volkert says if her mom could see it…
“She’d be tapping her toes. She was a tap dancer so I’m sure that’s what she’d be doing, tooting her flute and tapping her toes.”
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