Mural Created for McKee Library

Oklahoma Panhandle State University is home to many fine artists, and two of them recently completed a mural in McKee Library. Heather Baker and Lacy Mussman used acrylic paints with an airbrush to create much of the mural and used a paintbrush for detail work. The colorful painting spans an entire wall in the children’s literature section of McKee Library and measures over 27 feet wide and 7 feet 6 inches high.

Entitled "Oklahoma Afternoon," the trompe l’oeil painting depicts highlights of Oklahoma nature including official state flora and fauna. Examples include the redbud tree, the official state tree, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, the state bird, a bison, the state animal, and Indian Blanket, the state wildflower. The painting also depicts other common Oklahoma sights such as wheat, the cotton-tailed rabbit and deer.

Baker graduated cum laude this past May with a Fine Arts degree, and she has worked in the library since she was a freshman. Mussman begins her senior year this fall and is an Art and Animal Science major. She said, "I’ve been waiting three years to paint on the walls, and they finally let me!"

Open patio doors invite the viewer to follow the dog and tour the garden. When discussing the perspective, Baker said, "We proved art majors can do math."

Thanks Elaina S. for sharing this LibraryStory!