Graffiti News

The mural is moving to a new downtown wall

A mural inspired by Ozarks artist Robert E. Smith will be recreated on the west-facing wall of 338 N. Boonville Ave. in downtown Springfield. The Springfield News-Leader reported on September 27, 2026, that local mural artists Christine Riutzel and Meg Wagler will begin painting in October. Organizers aim to finish in time for the First Friday Art Walk in November.

The new site is about one block north of Park Central Square. Preparation was underway at the time of the report. Project organizer Jesse Tyler said painting should take less than two weeks if weather and site conditions permit. For anyone planning a visit, November is a completion goal rather than a confirmed unveiling date. The distinction matters while the work remains in preparation.

Community funding brought the project forward

More than $17,000 in community fundraising helped turn the loss of the earlier mural into a plan for a new version. According to the News-Leader, the mural was painted over in early 2026, prompting public objections and efforts to bring the image back into view downtown. Tyler, co-owner of All True and a partner with SGFCO, began organizing with downtown business owner Nicole Brown shortly after it disappeared.

The GoFundMe campaign received more than 80 individual donations. The Downtown Springfield Community Improvement District also provided sponsorship. Tyler described the effort as a shared response by people who valued Smith's work and wanted it to remain visible in the city center.

For people who follow public art, the project offers a concrete example of how a mural's life can extend beyond its first wall. Here, the work of retaining an image in public includes fundraising, locating a suitable building and agreeing on future care. Those practical decisions shape what residents and visitors will be able to encounter.

The artists are working from Smith's original image

Riutzel and Wagler are using Smith's artwork and photographs of the previous mural to guide the recreation. Tyler told the News-Leader that preparation included tracking down the original work, which depicted downtown Springfield as Smith knew it in 1975. The newspaper's earlier reporting identified Ben Bunch and Ryan Thayer as the artists who installed the previous mural in 2000.

The two selected muralists have studied Smith's style alongside those references. Tyler said they were chosen from roughly five or six qualified submissions. Both have years of experience making visible work around Springfield and have collaborated before.

The dates give viewers a useful way to read the planned mural. Its subject looks back to the city in 1975; the previous wall version dates to 2000; the new painting is planned for 2026. Following those stages keeps the original artist, the earlier mural makers and the new interpreters in view. It also makes the source image and photographic record relevant parts of the public artwork's history.

The new site comes with a ten-year care plan

Organizers have agreed on a maintenance plan with the building owner and set aside funds for the next ten years, according to Tyler. Finding the wall required more than finding a willing property owner. Several downtown owners responded, but the project needed a large, continuous surface that did not require repairs and could accommodate long-term maintenance.

The News-Leader identified the new building's owner as Clan MacQuarrie LLC, citing the Greene County Assessor's database. The location also connects with the easternmost part of Renew Jordan Creek, an effort to revitalize the area and add green space. The wall's setting therefore belongs in the story alongside the image itself.

The former mural stood at 400 W. Walnut St. David Pere bought that property through FUBAR HQ LLC and installed a different, veteran-inspired mural after the Smith-inspired image was covered. Tyler said Pere also supported the recreation effort. Visitors seeking the planned Smith mural should use the Boonville Avenue address when distinguishing the two locations.

For a mural walk, the new address, west-facing wall and nearby square provide the basic geographic reference points. The maintenance agreement adds another detail worth following: how the image will be cared for after painting ends. Explore surrounding public art with the Wallscape map.

Source: Springfield News-Leader