While researching for this mural, I happened upon a newspaper photo at the Greeley History Museum of a young woman painting a mural in the early 1980’s. The article talked about how she struggled to raise funds for her mural and how she envisioned a future where Greeley’s downtown walls would be covered with colorful artworks. In the photo, she is writing the first words of the quote “It is the vast future, more than the brief present, which is to be benefited.” I learned the quote came from the very first issue of the Greeley Tribune written by Nathan Meeker in Nov. of 1870. This festival is that painter’s vision come to life, forty years later.

That connection to history inspired my mural which is filled with animal silhouettes each made up of little story elements about what makes this place we call home special. The overall design explodes up and outward because the future of the “New West” is Vast. Each animal has little story elements within it - fireworks for the longhorns that lead our Fourth of July parade, constellations in the bear for Ursa Major UNCO, a nod to our Hispanic culture in the horse, the Poudre River Trail in the pelican, a “Duck” in the cat because that’s our cat’s name ha!, the plains in the bison for our roots, a dress for Rattlesnake Kate in the rattlesnake, some packets of seeds in the chicken, and lots more little hidden treasures for you to find (including a little add by/for each of my four kiddos).