Pontiac mural will include likeness of Bob Waldmire

We learned a few days ago that a mural in downtown Pontiac, Ill., will use a design by Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, who died of cancer in December 2009 before the mural was completed.

Today, the Pontiac Daily Leader reports that the building’s mural not only will include Waldmire’s design, but also a likeness of Waldmire himself.

The newspaper reports:

The mural will be finished and dedicated during the the annual Red Carpet Corridor celebration on Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-8.

Ellie Alexander of the city’s Tourism Bureau asked the council’s persmission to commission a mural depicting the last art work of Waldmire. Waldmire’s family donated his two vehicles, a bus which is located behind the Route 66 museum, and a Volkswagen van, located inside the museum.  The 66-foot-long mural will be made up of 16 panels, most 8-feet-high, except the three last panels to the south, which will be several feet higher.

The mural will be on the Encore Shoppe building along Main Street in downtown Pontiac. Diaz Sign Art will supervise the project. An rendering of the mural can be seen here.

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