BEATRICE - The artistic creator of the first modern-day downtown mural in Beatrice did the honors today.

Tyler Rinne cut the ribbon at a Main Street Beatrice and Beatrice Area Chamber event, marking completion of a colorful mural along the north side of Court Street, between Sixth and Seventh.

"I really wanted to include a lot of Beatrice landmarks and if things in Beatrice were not a landmark, I tried to put them on the side scenes...really the things that are happening in this town and community and things that could happen in this town and this community."

Main Street Beatrice Executive Director Michael Sothan says the project got financial and materials support from several sources, and is part of a longer range project to improve on the features of the downtown.

"This isn't going to be just a one-and-done project...this is going to be several projects over the next two years. But, we wanted something a little bit bigger and brighter and showier as the first piece. And, we wanted to make sure that we hired a professional artist for that." Sothan said the downtown mural uses property of Scully Estates and General Agricultural Services.

Rinne, who is the Assistant Director for the Community Players of Beatrice, has spent the past several weeks on the project.
"I've been working on it for the past month-and-a-half, or so....I've put in around two-hundred and eighty-five hours on the actual painting of the project. But, I really believe it's not necessarily the time that you put into something, but it's the end result. And, I hope everyone here is happy with the end result...I am....and I hope you guys are, too."

The Beatrice Area Chamber Ambassadors group had members helping to cut the ribbon on the downtown mural, Thursday.