The owners of The Windmill Shops along Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma, recently realized their dream of having a massive mural on their building for westbound Route 66 travelers.
Danny and Vi Davis, who built the shops about 20 years ago, decided to commission a Route 66 centennial mural on the 225-foot-long wall of the shopping center, according to Senior News & Living.
The couple envisioned a “chronological storyboard” with the earliest Arcadia history closest to the Mother Road, covering the first portion of the more than two-thirds of a football-field-sized canvas.
The family secured the services of Oklahoma’s most viewed mural painter, Bob Palmer, Ed.D. The former Central State University art professor gathered a crew of his best former students to tackle the enormous 225-foot-long project. The three-day large-scale mural painting adventure began.
“Once we commissioned Dr. Palmer and his crew and gathered the images we wanted in the mural, it was a ‘whirlwind’,” Vi said. […]
Taking all the Davises’ instructions about what they wanted to see painted, the muralist used structural techniques to create the “Cinematic” scale of Arcadia’s history.
The mural’s design offers visitors an immersive experience of Arcadia’s history, encouraging a walk along the wall to appreciate its storytelling.
Other Oklahoma muralists who worked on the project were Joel Randell of Luther, Shane Cox of Oklahoma City, Holly McHughes of Perry, Kayla Kohoutart of Walters and Journey Sanchez of Chandler.
More images of the mural:
Parking access for the mural is at 210 N. Odor St., one block east of the Arcadia Round Barn.
The mural also complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act with a concrete walkway that leads from the ramped parking lot and across the artwork.
(Images from the The Windmill Shops mural courtesy of Darl DeVault)