Artists From Around The Country Contribute Murals To Downtown Eufaula

Artists from all over the country are in Eufaula, painting murals for a big festival that starts this weekend.

Several artists are spending this week in Eufaula, turning walls and old buildings into works of art.

This is all part of Vision Eufaula's week-long Mural Festival, which features a mural art walk on Friday, Sept. 23.

"There's a smile on all of our faces from sunup to sundown right now," said Vision Eufaula president Karen Weldin. "It's a very exciting time for Eufaula."

Weldin said the goal is to revitalize downtown, turning it into a much more colorful community.

Tracy Lee Stum is an artist from California, and her mural highlights the lake. She said it's great to see the finished product, but even greater to meet people who appreciate the work.

"The most rewarding part of this is seeing the public coming by and wanting to take pictures or asking questions," Stum said.

A total of eight murals are being worked on around downtown Eufaula.

Weldin said residents are already taking notice of the murals when they drive around. She said projects like these can make a big difference for a small town.

"There's been several comments from people driving around looking at them saying it's a game changer," Weldin said.

Weldin and Stum said they can't wait to show off all the hard work. They said it's been a time-consuming project, but there's no doubt it's been time well-spent.

"We had one artist pull an all-nighter last night, so they're dedicated and motivated to get their projects done," Weldin said.

"It's a labor of love," Stum said. "My back would say it's not a labor of love."

The Mural Festival is set to end on Saturday, Sept. 24.