By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
Who knew the historic H.D. Lee Flour Mills Company sign was so huge?
The sign, which had been atop the old flour mill at 343 N. Santa Fe Avenue for decades, was removed today.
It will be refurbished and illuminated before being returned to its perch high above the north end of downtown Salina, according to information on the Salina Kanvas Project Facebook page.
Meanwhile, the body of the structure has been prepped for artist Guido Van Helten to begin work on a large-scale mural.
"We are excited to have this work commissioned here in Salina," Salina Kanvas Project member Travis Young said when the project was announced in the summer of 2020. "Guido is an extremely talented artist that will help us continue to transform downtown Salina and celebrate the spirit of this community."
The mural is being funded through private donations.
Van Helten has spent a great deal of time talking with people from the community and absorbing the local culture in order to develop a design that reflects the spirit of Salina.
The project at the old H.D. Lee Mill is the first of several projcts planned by the Salina Kanvas Project.
"The Salina Kanvas Project is aimed at inspiring onlookers, sparking conversations and providing a catalyst for the further growth of our community through the commission of world-class murals and street art in downtown Salina, Kansas," according to the Salina Kanvas Project website.
You also can find out more about the Salina Kanvas Project on its Facebook page.