Murals have been around as long as there have been people. From cave paintings to ancient frescoes, to the sides of modern city buildings, murals are imperative in the world of art.
Not only do they reflect the talents of the artist, they bring art to the public and make them more aware — of their history, their culture, their feelings and beliefs, in a form larger than life.
For Great Bend High School graduate Anna Popp, although executing a mural can test the skill and patience of an artist, it can be a rewarding experience on many levels.
“In art, small things can have a huge effect, but when you’ve done something that people have to move their head to see, it’s like, ‘whoa,’” she said. “I like to push my limits. It’s rewarding to have something that’s big and bold and it worked out.
"If I had to paint a buffalo on a one foot by one foot canvas over and over, like 15 times, I think I would end up hating painting. I like doing something I haven’t done before, or that really challenges me. Challenging yourself makes you better.”
From dream to reality
Anna graduated from GBHS in 2021 and will be a junior this fall majoring in fine arts at Kansas University, with a minor in art history. While she loved drawing as a child, she didn’t believe that doing art would ever be her career.
“I eventually realized art was the only thing I really enjoyed,” she said. Her major requires her to experience a wide variety of art, from ceramics, to sketching, to painting. She likes metal sculpture, hand-built ceramics and making jewelry.
But it’s the mural that tests her, she said, because of the scale.
“There are a lot of good murals and muralists going up and around this area right now,” she said. “There are a lot of cool people who will have work that I can look at; a lot of different styles and it’s really awesome to see, just art becoming more prevalent. Even if it’s not mine, it’s really cool to see.”
Popp now has three murals to her credit, after painting her first last summer on the wall of the youth center in Atwood. She was commissioned to paint the mural that was about 55 feet long and 12 feet tall as part of a summer internship, she said.
“I applied and then got it painted,” she said. “I would paint in the mornings and in the evenings I would work at the center for the kids. It was kind of like a dual internship thing.
“Painting a mural is difficult,” she noted. “On paper or canvas, you see the whole picture in front of you, so it’s easy to see the proportion. On the mural, I was painting a buffalo nose that was as big as my face.”
Her process involves making lots of sketches, gridding out the inches and then transposing the grid into feet. “It’s about painting close up and then having to step back to look at it,” she said. “But that’s why I enjoy it, it’s the challenge.”
This past summer, Anna was commissioned to paint a mural for the Pawnee Rock City Park, as well as adding a summertime feel to the front of the City of Claflin swimming pool.
Part of the mural mystique is how it presents to the public, she said. “In Pawnee Rock, they wanted something that shows the history of the community.” The Claflin mural is a fun look; it depicts a beach with palm trees, ocean waves, a flamingo and a bit of sun behind a cloud.
Looking ahead
Before her mural opportunities, Popp was looking at finishing her degree and possibly looking into working with a museum as a career move. Now, however, she’s looking at lining up more mural projects.
“This year I will possibly be making some trips back and forth during college,” she said. “I really like the smaller town environment. People are really more appreciative of the work you’ve done.
“I’m very up in the air right now,” she noted. “I could see myself work in a museum; the Kansas City area appeals to me and it would be great to do something in a bigger area. “But it would be fun to see an art business take off.”
