LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. (AP) - In the heart of a town labeled one of the poorest places in the country stands a mural local residents want visitors to see as a testament to their commitment to restore pride and commerce in Lake Providence.
The town has been widely recognized as one of poorest places in America since Time magazine designated it as such in 1994. Today, poverty levels remain high with 41 percent of the parish living below poverty level.
However, those numbers do not deter the residents and town leaders who believe Lake Providence can thrive again.
Lake Providence Mayor Bobby Amacker believes positive economic news is on the horizon.
Fred’s is looking to purchase property across from Sonic on U.S. Highway 65 and there could be additional economic development in the near future, Amacker said.
“There are things we’re working on, but in the meantime, we’re cleaning up buildings and cutting grass,” Amacker said.
He’s pleased with the mural and hopes it does increase the level of pride in a community that’s had its share of bad news.
“I went out and looked at it the other day. It’s huge. I had to stand out on the levee just to see the whole thing. Its intent is to instill pride and hope in our community. I think in time it will do that,” Amacker said.
News of Lake Providence’s plight reached Resurrection Fellowship, a church in Loveland, Colorado, which partnered with the town’s governmental and church leaders to begin the mural project, a 90-by 20-foot wall on the corner of U.S. Highway 65 and Lake Street. The mural incorporates words of hope along with scenes from the surrounding area.
Aubrey Greiser moved from Colorado to Lake Providence in 2012 when her husband accepted a position with Providence Church. Both were members of Resurrection Fellowship Church.
She established a “Love Your Community” campaign similar to a project started by John Rea, a Monroe Realtor.
Greiser and Jenny Hodge, who established Together for Hope in Lake Providence, started thinking of ways to revitalize Lake Providence in 2013.
They learned about the “The Values Project” from Rea. That project debuted in 2011 in California cities where value words were painted in parking lots.
Both agreed Lake Providence deserved a values-oriented art project.
Eric Holmlund, an artist with the church, designed the mural concept, and in July 2013 teams ventured from Colorado to restore the wall and begin the graphic design and layout.
In addition to beautifying the town, the mural’s purpose is to encourage residents and welcome visitors.
The words: hope, worth, change, love, vision, unity, respect, impact, believe, forgive, courage and serve are scattered in crossword format across the mural with artistic renditions of the community.
Greiser talked with residents before planning the mural to gather concepts they wanted to see on the wall.
“When we first started last Fourth of July people were really cautious. Then we put the words up but there was some negativity because people believed this would be another project started but never finished. People here are used to others letting them down because there have been a number of good intentions and projects started but never finished,” Greiser said.
Now that the mural is complete, Greiser has seen attitudes change. She senses hope and excitement that she didn’t notice when she moved to Lake Providence.
“This is a lot more than putting beautiful paint and words on a building. It’s telling people they are worth the time, energy and money for such a project,” Greiser said. “Within the last year we’ve seen more businesses making renovations. Things are popping up and there’s that feeling that we are not going to give up on ourselves. This mural is just a piece of a very large puzzle in the resurrection and hope that’s happening in Lake Providence.”
On the website dedicate to the mural, residents expressed excitement and enjoyment of the mural.
Pam King wrote, “This is such an awesome mural. I have to roll the windows down and almost stop and hang out in front of it before I get to the stop sign. My grandkids just love it. Thank you for taking your precious time to do this for Lake Providence.”
Resurrection Fellowship Church plans to build a baseball field across from the former Northside Elementary School. Church members also want to start other beautification projects in Lake Providence.
The mural was created by Scott Freeman and Eric Holmlund. Additional artists were Sandy Beegle, Mollie Freeman, Aubrey Grieser, Margie Gray, Sabrina Peterson, Rene Prinsloo and Marcus Robinson.
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Information from: The News-Star, https://www.thenewsstar.com
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