Celebrating and honoring those who have served our country is something the Greeley Active Adult Center (AAC) has always done well. Within their facility lies the recently refurbished Veterans Wall of Honor.
Sheri Lobmeyer, a recreation coordinator, worked with local artist Felisha Bustos to redesign the Wall of Honor with a mural set as a background to photographs of the AAC’s Veteran members.
Mural Concept
Sheri and Felisha have a long history of working together. Felisha previously taught art classes at the AAC and was honored to create a mural.
“I love to create public art, and the Active Adult Center is dear to my heart,” said Felisha.
The wall theme holds significant meaning, initially conceived by Tiffany Skoglund, previous AAC supervisor, during her tenure at the AAC. Project discussions spanned a year or two before Felisha began the project. She presented four mural options, and a committee chose the one they felt best fulfilled the conceptualized idea. The image needed to stand alone and complement the displayed photographs. Coincidentally, they chose Felisha’s favorite design.
Felisha explained her method, stating, “I aimed to zoom in on an American flag to capture the essence of it and highlight the important aspects of the flag while keeping in mind its uniqueness.”
Finding Inspiration
Felisha found an image of an American flag online that looked faded and antique, which she decided to emulate.
“The light in the reference photo was great because there are areas that appear to glow and other areas that represent shade to help create a contrast to the bright areas,” said Felisha. “I love making art with elements that draw the viewer in and create a juxtaposition.”
The bulletin board across from the mural is a soft mauve color with wood trim. “I created a palette of colors that felt antique and incorporated the mauves that connected to the bulletin board. I incorporated the neutral carpet color as well.”
Unveiling the Wall of Honor
Felisha was overwhelmed with pride and felt grateful when she saw the photos of Greeley Veterans hanging on the wall in the forefront of the mural.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to see the proverbial blank canvas at the beginning of a project and embrace the feelings you sense before you begin painting – nervous, excited, scared, overwhelmed, thankful for the opportunity, and hopeful all at once,” said Felisha. “Then, upon completion, I feel joyful, free, happy, surprised, peaceful, in awe, and thankful for the opportunity on another level.”
During the finished process, Felisha reflects, “The mural supports the real subject matter – the Veterans who gave their lives for us. The Wall of Honor at the Active Adult Center is a creative way to pay tribute to members of our community who served courageously.”
To view the Veterans Wall of Honor, visit the Active Adult Center, located at 1010 6th Street in Greeley. For more information, find them online at GreeleyActiveAdultCenter.com.
