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Artists Paint The Town

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 13, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - The mural looks like a portrait of life here, a 2 feet-by-8 feet hand-printed acrylic work with at least two dozen symbols of Zephyrhills.

It came out of Don Hencke's art class at the CARES Zephyrhills Senior Center. The work is intended as an artistic display and a tribute to the city.

"It just came to me one day. I thought it would be interesting to see all the various techniques of artists in my class and thought it would give something for the people of Zephyrhills to look at."

Eight artists in Hencke's class spent more than a year painting the mural. It depicts hallmarks of Zephyrhills - high-flying skydivers, representing Skydive City; Zephyr Park and the city's water park; the train depot; the old-time clock on Fifth Avenue; and a bottle of Zephyrhills Spring Water. Zephyrhills Rotary, and music and motorcycles - showing off one of the events the city has become known for - are also part of the mix.

"The mural is beautiful," said Larry Munroe, director of the community center. "I'm so proud of these people for coming to class every week and painting it."

The artists are also pleased with how the project turned out.

"The class was very enthusiastic about the mural idea," Mike Cummings said.

The mural is the second group project for the class, which also has collaborated on a multi-panel work where each artist worked on a section. The mural project was more personal than the first, though - especially for Kathy Gordon, who painted an airplane flown by her husband.

The artists have specific ideas about how the mural should be displayed.

"I'd like to see it shared," Donna Violette said. "I'd like to see the mural posted a month here, a month there, and I'd love to see it in storefronts."

"I'd like to see it at the historic train depot," Hencke said.

Munroe has shown the mural to all sorts of people around town - from bingo players at the Zephyr Palms Events Centre to staffers in the mayor's office.

"They loved it," he said, chuckling. "They wanted me to leave it at the office."

Zephyrhills Rotary representatives displayed the mural during the Veterans Day parade Saturday.

Munroe also said he would like to produce posters and postcards bearing the mural's image.

"We're going to get the mural out there," he said.

Munroe sees the art class, which meets from 9 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday and is open to all ages, as an example of the contributions the community center are making to the community. The center, at 5320 First St., also offers computer and pine needle basket-making classes and provides space for driving classes and services for the deaf and blind.

The artists see their work as a contribution to the community, too.

"We tried to represent what the city is to us," Violette said.

In addition to Hencke, Gordon and Violette, the mural artists included Donna Mathews, Janet Hershey, Mike Cummings, Charles Smeltzer, Joanne Martin and Edda Held.

For information, call the CARES Zephyrhills Senior Center at (813) 788-0471.

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