OREGON — Those driving or walking into the heart of Oregon on West Illinois Route 64 now have a little stretch of nature to enjoy with the completion of a mural depicting a wildflower field at sunset along the southern wall of the Village Bakery building at 101 N. 3rd St. Those involved, including artist Nora Reuter of Nora Kate Paints, members of the Village of Progress, some of whom helped in the beginning stages of painting, as well as the mayor of Oregon gathered to celebrate the mural’s completion Monday, Aug. 19.
The mural took nearly a month to finish and was completed in stages. Early in the process, several members of the Village of Progress were invited to lend a hand in the completion of the mural. Nora guided the Village members in creating the first level of foliage in the wildflower field by painting crossing lines in green at the forefront of the mural. Reuter was very impressed and appreciative of their hard work.
“These large-scale murals take a lot of time and having extra hands was super helpful,” Reuter said. “The Village members did an amazing job taking direction and completing their tasks.”
The Village of Progress owns the building and The Village Bakery that resides inside. Adults with disabilities work shoulder to shoulder there with a professional staff, learning skills needed for employment, while serving the community breakfast and lunch. Aside from the Village Bakery, the Village of Progress runs a number of programs to give those with intellectual disabilities the chance to interact with their community, earn an income and enrich their lives on a daily basis. The mural was funded by a $5,000 grant from the City of Oregon.
