Maddie Deiters from Marion, Ill., is coming to Great Bend this summer to paint a mural at 10th and Main.
Now 17 years old, Deiters has more than a dozen murals to her credit. The first, done when she was 14 years old, was a 50-foot tall, 50-foot wide work of art called “Slice of Life” on the back of Marion’s Tower Square Pizza. That year she started her own business, ThreeLineArt. Her murals can be found in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina. The largest one covers 10,000 square feet.
She’s also been featured nationally with a story in the Epoch Times newspaper. She’s also painted murals honoring military members. Her father was in the National Guard and his father was a veteran, Deiters said.
Deiters says her inspiration is rooted in the beauty of nature. She believes that public art has the ability to energize and transform a community and its next generation.
At the end of July, she will come to Great Bend for about a week to paint “Guardians of Great Bend,” a mural that pays tribute to first responders. Her “canvas” will be the north side of the building on the southeast corner of 10th and Main.
The west-facing wall will also have art. It will feature the top-level sponsors of the mural, said Haley Ruble, who is part of a small committee operating under the Great Bend Foundation that is sponsoring this project.
“We began the project with a vision to make the corner of 10th & Main Street a tribute to our area first responders,” Ruble said. “Upon looking for inspiration for this project, we found a mural that Maddie Deiters had completed in prior years. It was a similar dedication to police, fire and EMS in a community in Indiana. The art was inspiring and provoking. We immediately felt that she was the perfect fit. Upon communicating with her, we knew she was the ideal candidate to complete this mural.”
Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau Director/Community Coordinator Christina Hayes introduced Ruble at Monday’s city council meeting, describing this project as a partnership with the city.
The committee is currently seeking sponsors for financial support of the mural, Ruble said. “In addition to sponsorship opportunities, we have dedication/tribute bricks that can be purchased in support of individual past or present first responders, T-shirts and metal prints of the mural that will be available after the completion of the project.”
To donate online follow this link: https://guardians-of-great-bend.square.site/.
