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Murals by Kris Killman

On Jul 31, 2007, at 4:26 PM, Kris Killman wrote:

Hi Nori,
My name is Kris Killman and I'm an artist in Southern Illinois. I put together a team of artists and we bid a mural project for the town of Metropolis Illinois. Located on the Ohio river this sleepy little town has a casino and plenty of tax revenue to do civic enhancement projects like murals. We are currently painting 6 murals in town and this riverboat is the George Cowling. It ran between Paducah Kentucky and Metropolis in the early 1900's. The story goes from the photo I've been working from that the Captain was told not to go to Metropolis that winter morning because ice was clogging up the river. He defied his orders because the winter was so bad that the town was running out of supplies. He made it to Metropolis and got on his bull horn and hollered out for the town folks to come and help unload the boat and help moor it so that the ice wouldn't crush the hull as was happening to many boats that winter. The photo I'm working from says 1918. The story goes that the town folk were unloading the boat handing the freight across the ice. Then they saved the boat. Black and whites working side by side to save it. I'm about half way done on this scene which is being painted on the Community center on the town square. It's 12'x 20' long.


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Finished version:

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From this photo:

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Also the historians say that the boat was used extensively during fair weather to take honeymooners who got married in Metropolis back to Kentucky. Apparently it was easier to get married in Illinois than Kentucky back then. They would come from Kentucky in their best "go to town clothes" and get married and ride the Cowling back to Paducah, Ky. I have a summer shot of the boat with folks all dressed up. Ladies with summer umbrellas and all.

It's been great fun painting this and I'll be a little lost when it's over. Though I'll go back to the fine art business when we are done some time in about 5 weeks.

Take care,
Kris Killman www.killmanart.com





On Oct 31, 2007, at 10:37 AM, Kris Killman wrote:

Subject: Nine Hundred Feet

Nori, I also helped out on this one when I wasn't painting that steamboat scene in Metropolis Illinois. Metropolis is 7 miles away from Paducah. Both projects were going on at the same time. So I kept very busy this summer.

Four artists in Paducah Kentucky worked on one of this countries longest murals. It's 900 feet long. Colleen Thompson and myself helped out Lady Van Tiger when she was up against deadlines. Spent a number of pleasurable hours painting on this. Here are some scenes from that wall. It's on the Ingram Barge Co. parking lot. Open to the public at announced time and dates.

Take care
Kris Killman
www.killmanart.com


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