NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – Whether through sculptures or paintings, distinctive art pieces have rapidly turned into a mainstay for downtown North Platte’s Canteen District.
Nonetheless, the task remains unfinished as an artist from Lincoln County started painting a mural this week at a location close to the junction of Jeffers and Sixth Streets. This artwork aims to honor and pay tribute to the Lincoln County World War II Canteen and one of its original founders, Ray Wilson.
It will highlight the initiatives at the canteen, beginning with Ray Wilson, the shop attendant who began providing meals for soldiers passing through on Christmas Day, and this effort persisted afterward,” explained artist Lauren Olson. “I’m consistently quite proud to showcase local history, plus it’s enjoyable to step out of my usual territory. My hometown is Oshkosh.
Olson mentioned that she enjoys the preliminary tasks associated with producing historical murals.
My favorite aspect of working on historical murals is conducting research on these significant locations and the local figures who impacted their communities,” stated Olson. “It truly astonished me to learn about the countless soldiers they assisted during that era and how they baked birthday cakes for those serving whose special days fell while they were passing through.
The mural’s backdrop is Hide Park Apparel, which is owned by Katelyn and Josh Sperle.
“Given that this is our own building, we’re particularly thrilled. We can hardly wait to witness everything fall into place over the next few weeks. It excites us to imagine visitors arriving from across the country, eager to learn more about the canteen and understand its significance,” stated Sperle.
It is expected that the mural will be finished by July 4th.
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