By Lucky Kidd
INMAN, Kan. — The formal ribbon cutting for Inman’s Harvest Mural took place Friday morning. The mural, which takes up the entire west side of the grain elevator along Center Street and is visible from K-61, was created by Mindy Allen of Junction City, to whom the honor of cutting the ribbon was given.
It’s by far the largest mural project ever undertaken by Allen, who has created murals in several Kansas communities and also recently completed a mural project in Mobridge, South Dakota. “The biggest all around, tallest, as far as whole square footage, the timeline that it took me to do it, the budget that was set aside for it, everything about it,”
The mural is on an elevator owned by Jaris Regier, who said this project turned out to be even better than he first imagined. When he was first contacted about the project, he was willing to do it. He wasn’t sure what it would become, but once he saw the drawing for the mural and now the final project is done, he was amazed. “It’s a beautiful piece of art, and they did an amazing job, better than I thought it would turn out,” Regier said.
The mural was commissioned by the Inman Museum and fundraising for the project included a $7,500 grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity. Director Trisha Purdon said when the office received the grant application and plans for the mural, they were simply amazed, and that this is something they wanted to be part of.
The Office of Rural Prosperity has funded multiple mural projects around Kansas, and Purdon said these grants are ways “rural communities could show their history and culture, and bring the community together to celebrate that history and culture together.”
This project is twofold, partly to mark this year’s 150th anniversary of the Mennonite immigration to Kansas who brought Turkey Red Wheat to the region. It also honors the custom cutters who follow the wheat harvest each year. At one time, the Inman and Buhler communities were the center of the custom cutting industry in North America.
Prior to the ribbon cutting, it was also announced fundraising has begun for construction of a building on the Inman Museum complex that will house exhibits on the introduction of Turkey Red and the custom cutting tradition.
Among others taking part in the ceremony, along with museum representatives and those of the Inman Chamber of Commerce, were State Senator Rick Wilborn and State Representative Paul Waggoner.
